A Smile was all it took
by WouldItMatter
Summary: A haunted boy grows alongside the Avatar, one a supporter and the other a head strong, sometimes foolish, powerhouse. Through murderer hunts, equalist rallies, a campaign to unite the Earth Kingdom, and even many visits to the spirit world, how will the boy prevail, through smiles and thundering hearts? Naruto x Korra x Kuvira x Asami
1. Chapter 1

_Laughter. Laughter was the first thing he registered as the haze of a dream filtered into the cold consciousness of a nightmare. He knew this street. These lights. These streets were as foreign as they were hauntingly familiar. The main attraction of these streets, the large theater situated near the end of it bustling with people all excitedly jabbering away about the play, loomed in the distance, an ever gloomy figurehead. Blonde and Red hair suddenly blinded his vision, and wet squelching deafened him, his world ringing while he unconsciously recalled the events that were burned into his eyes, even as his nightmare was merciful enough to blind him with blood. Blood that splattered. Blood that squirted. Blood that stained._

_He felt, rather than saw, the way the bodies slumped forward, perhaps a world away from him now. He felt the way the skin on the outer parts of his eye strained with how wide his eyes were, his body unmoving as his heart thundered in his chest. Certainly, the reason the man turned around. His grin etched itself into his mind. Carved itself into his chest. Wrenched a knife into his gut and gutted him in its image. He felt it. The smile did not leave his mind. Nor the simple, deliberate, ignorance of his presence. The man didn't care. The man cared less than the unliving duo of people he left behind, flipping his knife as he left. The boy could only watch._

_He continued to watch, even as his world became white. Bustling herds of people were replaced with calm waters. Police were replaced with White Lotus. Buildings were replaced with snowy walls. The bodies were replaced with nothing. They remained, unmoving as matches of Water, Earth, and Fire Bending occured atop of their forms. In the sky, be it nightly aurora borealis or daily bunny clouds, the smile haunted him, watching in eternal dominance over his life even as he momentarily forgot it each day, only to return with a fervent desire to finish its work when he came of age at night._

_Thus, the eyes slowly narrowed into calm, peaceful sapphire gemstones as the observant boy grew to a smiling teen, distracting himself from his problems with the problems of his much more important friend, the Avatar._

_The boy continued to look up at the smile. His eyes wide and his heart thundering in his chest, before his world washed away in a brilliant plume of fire._

"AHHHHH! Korra!" Korra began to laugh maniacally as she watched her friend quickly bend some water out of a large bowl of the liquid meant specifically for bending in his room to drench the fire she had bent towards his sleeping form, waking him with only the most drastic and evil of methods. She may have felt bad, but there was an anxiety in her chest and she always went to him to relieve it. Rushing towards him, Korra grasped his hand and began to pull him out of his bed, despite the fact that the boy only had pants on and was without a shirt let alone shoes or socks.

"Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeon! Today's the day of my firebending test! You can't miss it Naruto!~" She called out to him happily, even as she dragged him by his arm nearly tearing it out of its socket. Naruto, having enough, stomped his foot forcing Korra to stop as her legs, up to mid calf, had frozen after the boy's stomp. Turning around with a questioning face, Korra soon flustered and turned around with a slight coloring of her face as she had come face to face with Naruto who was staring with a clearly annoyed face as he shivered slightly in the cold winds of the South Pole in the Southern Water Tribe Compound.

"I still need to get dressed Korra. Spirtis above, I've been hearing about this test for two weeks now. Plus, I wasn't planning on missing it. Besides," Naruto and Korra leisurely strolled back into his small home, consisting of one large 'main' room and two smaller ones, one of the smaller ones being his bathroom. "Isn't it in an hour?" Naruto chided, pulling on the first layer of many that went into a water tribe outfit. Korra had the decency to look embarrassed that she had pulled him out of his house an entire hour early.

"Yea, but, I thought we could spar as practice like we do before every test." Korra explained in a quieter voice than normal, showing her embarrassment. Naruto looked up as he pulled on the heavy fur coat that finished the traditional outfit.

"Korra, we spar everyday. And everyday its a win for you. Come on, don't worry about it, you'll pass." Naruto laced his arm around her shoulder with a big grin, and Korra looked up slightly to see a cheeky Naruto with his eyes squinted and a thumbs up on the other hand greeting her eye. As they exited, Korra smiled as his hair, a staple of his appearance, beamed gold in the sunlight. It seemed like a good omen for her test.

Approaching the open field of snow in front of the real trial fighting ground, the pair stared at each other, Korra with a determined smile, and Naruto with a rather cheeky, accepting smile. Each of them knew who would win this fight, that was not a question. The girl of the pair had always been the better bender between the two, leaping beyond Naruto's skill before the pair even met, and then leaping some more even after Naruto began to learn bending from Katara, who had free time to teach the boy after the White Lotus delegated Korra's waterbending instruction to a younger, much nimbler teacher who could keep pace with Korra's energy.

Staring forward at his sparring partner, Naruto had to take a moment to calm himself as he spied a devious smile on her face, one that made his heart beat two thunderous booms into his ear before it vanished as Korra began rushing him, fire lighting small trails behind her fingers. Naruto reacted by planting his feet, his knees crouching slightly for movement as the Avatar continued her aggressive rush on his person.

Korra leaped into the air, releasing a growling yell of exertion as she launched a plume of fire towards the blonde teen who reacted by bending water out of the pouch he always carried with him in a defensive manor, the water evaporating into steam to reveal Korra as she barreled into him, grabbing onto his clothing and launching him into the air with a firebending enhanced throw evident by the fire spewing out behind her elbow.

Naruto screamed, having never been _thrown _in one of their bouts, before regaining composure and turning his neck to watch as Korra began to throw more fireballs towards his position in the air. _She could kill me! _With that realization, Naruto once more bent water out of his pouch, defensively shielding himself even as he landed, his feet once more gaining footing, shifting into offensive movements.

"Alright you're finally getting into it!" Korra shouted happily, bracing herself for Naruto's attack with a determined grin. Naruto grinned back, water raising over each of his hands, before his body lurched forward, the water suddenly freezing around his hands. Korra's eyes widened, even as the boy sprinted towards her. She grinned once more, launching herself into the air with a plume of fire releasing from her feet, though her grin was cut short as the boy grinned once more.

Utilizing the melted snow that she had left behind, Naruto launched himself up with a quick use of bending, bringing his hand back in preparation to unleash an icy right hook across Korra's cheek, only to quickly melt it and use it as a water whip to confuse the girl, wrapping the water around her leg and using it as leverage to throw Korra into the watery moat around the middle tower of the compound. Laughing to himself, elated at this apparent victory, Naruto was unable to react to the steamy figure that launched a plume of fire at the boy as it emerged from the same moat. Naruto was sent flying backwards, finding himself wrapped up in one of the compound's many ropes courses meant for Korra's training.

Naruto sighed, grumbling to himself as he gained once again another loss in his and Korra's sparing history. A tanned hand reached down into his vision, prompting the boy to look up into Korra's sparkling eyes, as blue as his own, a joyful smile adorning her face.

"Looks like it's another loss for you, eh Naruto?" Korra teased, grabbing onto the boy and hoisting him out of the ropes course, untangling him in the process.

"We both knew it was gonna end like this Korra, come on. I just can't do the things you can." Naruto's rebuttal prompted Korra to laugh slightly and slap his back a little rougher than she intended, nearly making the boy tumble forward.

"I was only using firebending Naruto, you can't use that excuse this time." Naruto stared at her with an annoyed glance, cracking his back with a wince of pain.

"Oh shut it Korra, you've always been better than me at anything bending related. I mean, remember you had to teach me waterbending until they passed you on it, before that Elder Katara wasn't available to teach me, and it's not like they're gonna let anyone else in this damn place if it doesn't help you with your oooohhoho Ahhhvaaahhtaaarrr Deeeessstiiiny!" Naruto's joke, not really joke, made Korra laugh out loud, latching onto the boy's shoulder with her arm to support herself as she bent forward. Naruto smiled, the pair having frequently made jokes such as this that downplayed the White Lotus in anyway possible, though Naruto's eyes trailed up at the sentry that frowned at him as Korra continued to laugh. The White Lotus had never approved of Naruto's residency.

"Come on Korra, we've gotta make it to that test, remember?" Naruto chided, tugging the still laughing Korra along.

_-Dinner that evening with Tenzin-_

"Well, there's another solution to my airbending problem…" Korra trailed off with an absolutely giddy smile, her words dawning on Tenzin and the White Lotus elder seated in front of her, as well as the blonde to her left. Tenzin had been explaining that his stay in the South Pole was going to be a short one, a mere formality to explain to Korra why her training would have to be postponed, the reason being… issues in Republic City. To Naruto, it made sense, the man was one of the council members of the City and thus had to attend to his responsibilities, but on the other hand…

"Absolutely not!" The White Lotus elder slammed his hands on the table in clear anger at Korra's insinuated suggestion. Naruto's eye brows leaped up, his eyes darting over to watch Korra's reaction. Naturally, she wasn't taking it well.

"But why!? All I do is sit behind these walls and learn bending, that's it! Part of being the _Avatar _is going out and exploring the world on a path to help people! This is the perfect opportunity to begin! Not only could I start my airbending training, something that is necessary to becoming a true Avatar, but I could begin to help the people of Republic City. It's perfect!" Korra's explanation, clearly, fell on deaf ears as the elder's face only grew redder with each syllable.

"That's preposterous! Avatar Aang tasked us with your safety until you had mastered the elements! Even if he didn't, Republic City is a dangerous place. It is far too early for you to leave the compound, Avatar Korra." The elder replied with a vile mix of anger and reverent respect towards the Avatar. Naruto decided he hated the way that mix seemed to encompass everything he knew and had experienced with the White Lotus. Another slam on the table brought Naruto forth from his thoughts, watching as Korra began to leave in a frustrated huff.

"Korra wait! Sit down." Naruto called out, grasping onto Korra's wrist, prompting the girl to turn around with an angry flush, only to be met with Naruto's reassuring and caring eyes, calming her down significantly, enough to sit back down at least, the feeling of Naruto's hand lingering on her wrist in her mind as she sat down, looking into her lap in order to avoid the anger that was summoned by looking at that, _fat ugly, _respected elder of the White Lotus.

"With all due respect, gentlemen," Naruto's voice brought those at the table back to attention, the three of them turning to stare at the seemingly out of place blonde, "While Avatar Aang's instructions to safeguard Korra were done with good intentions, they are wildly outdated as it stands today." His words baffled, and even offended, the two eldest men at the table, while Korra's eyes widened in amazement.

"You insolent brat! Avatar Aang entru-" "Let's consider where Aang's words may have come from." Naruto purposefully interrupted the elder, ignoring him in favor of staring at the man with the _real _power in the room, Tenzin. "The world Aang remembers, and saved, was one of constant war, of hiding from fire nation soldiers, of poverty and despair. A world of death. A world that didn't _want _an Avatar. A world that didn't greet him with the open arms that perhaps he rightfully should've recieved. However, the world today is largely changed, for the better if I might add." His words seemed to have struck a chord within Korra, as she seemed to hang onto each and every letter with eager anticipation and excitement, while Tenzin merely sat and listened with, what he hoped, was an open mind. The elder was just struggling in anger, his face red with frustration.

"The world is no longer in a state of war, nor is it the dangerous, uninviting battleground that Aang remembers from his learning days, the same days Korra is going through right now. However, let us consider another fact. Aang faced the world with 1 element and 1 element only, Air bending. And yet, he prevailed. Not through restrictive measures of his safety, but rather the exact opposite. Korra, on the other hand, has 3 mastered elements at her hands. Not proficient, _mastered. _As it stands, I believe it is rather," Naruto looked down, seeming to consider his next words with serious thought.

"Asinine, to keep the Avatar locked away within the compound, especially given that the situation at Republic City does not have a concrete time of completion nor does it grant Korra a task to do while she waits for its completion, which, ultimately, stemms Korra's progress. I think we can all agree that it's better for the world to have a fully realized Avatar earlier rather than later, hmm?" His piece finished, Naruto lowered his posture once more, staring at the table in wait of a response. Naturally, Korra was first.

"Ha! See! Naruto agrees with me! What's so bad about me going to Republic City?" Korra demanded, a determined and once more emboldened face glaring at the two older men, clearly a result of Naruto's deliberate argument.

"Absolutely not! The White Lotus will not even consider it! It is foolish to go off of the words of some, some BOY than the words of the previous Avatar! And you, Avatar Korra, are a fool to entrust so much to this jester!" The elder, his ravaged anger overtaking his sense of duty, launched himself at the Avatar, leaning over the table and stuffing his finger angrily in her face. Korra was disgusted, not at his actions, but rather the way he treated her closest friend.

"Naruto has done more for me than any of you White Lotus ever have!" Korra's words made Naruto look up, but the angry face of the elder once more pushed his head down into a submissive posture. The verbal and facial war between Korra and the elder began to escalate, until seemingly the quiet Tenzin grew too frustrated with the pair's feud.

"ENOUGH! Elder, sit down! You too Korra!" The old man's voice boomed with a subtle use of airbending that Naruto caught, his eyes flicking upwards to stare at the man. "Both of you are disrespecting the severity of this situation as well as the well structured response by this young man. Spirits, you two acted like beasts! Elder, as a man of your age and discipline, this is hardly becoming behavior. And you, Korra, as the Avatar you need to learn to properly deal with those that do not agree with your decisions or your actions. Now, ultimately the decision resides within my discretion, considering I am to be Korra's teacher." Tenzin's outburst had effectively calmed the two, and even humbled the pair of… excitable debaters.

"Now, young Naruto, I will propose a course of action that may placate both parties. Korra," the girl perked up, as did her blonde friend, "You may accompany me to Republic City," seeing the girl's coming explosion of happiness, Tenzin quickly laid down the rules, "On the condition that White Lotus sentries be placed around the Air Temple, as well as you respect the cities rules, my rules, and naturally," Tenzin gestured towards Naruto, prompting the room to stare at the boy, "The wishes of this young man."

* * *

_Blood. No matter what he tried to wash it off with. Water, cold or hot. Soap, soft or harsh. Even bleach in one stupid attempt. It stayed there. A large splatter across his left cheek, trailing up to his left eye and drying over his lower eyelashes. One splatter trailed to his nose, drying into a dark red line across the bride of his nose and connecting to his right eye lash where it dripped down into his right eye, blurring over his pupil and forever showing him what he would not forget. Lastly, the largest splatter trailed over his mouth, hardening into a dark paste over his lips and seeping into his mouth, cascading down his tongue and drying over his throat, casing it in blood that had mixed together to form his own life._

_Boring walls of snow and ice melted, the pools of water reflecting red until they jumped up and reached for the sky, turning gray and solid in the process and becoming a jumbled, confusing mess of skyscrapers and factories that both confused and reminisced. The calming waters gained energy, the wind encouraged by bustling crowds of people that waded through the water, adding their own filth to the waters as they cascaded over the city, becoming criminals and lowlifes. Few White Lotus remained, though the ones that were forgotten were replaced with angry, metal-adorned police officers. Naturally, the bodies stayed, a tangible white outline of their bodies being drawn in the middle of the street._

_Cars and people passed the teen by, even as he began to regress, separated from the bodies by a threateningly corrupt, pure white line. And thus, the now small boy's blonde hair was stained and became filthy in the smog and trash of Republic City._

"Augh… ungh… ahhh spirits…" Naruto mumbled breathlessly, rolling over in his bed and staring out of the window, surprised to no longer see the blue ocean but rather the gray stone of a port. He still felt the numbing sensation of the boat rocking with the waves of the sea, as he had for the past week. At first the waves had been disorienting, sickening even, but as a waterbender Naruto's keen sense of water and its motions had quickly quelled whatever queasiness was there from a life behind solid walls on solid ground.

"NarutoNarutoNarutoNaruto!" Naturally, Korra gave the boy no time to properly wake up, her muffled shouts through the metal walls of the ship's hull bringing a soft smile to the boy's still sleep-stiffened face. Groaning lightly, he swung his legs over his bed's edge in time for his door to burst open by an energetic and, at times, immature bender.

"Hello Kor-ough!" Naruto's greeting was cut short as the girl propelled herself at him, wrapping her arms around his torso as she toppled over him in her excitement, raising her head to flash the boy with a smile perhaps as bright as the lights of Republic City.

"We're here! We're really here! Agh spirits it took so long I thought they were pulling a fast one and turning around to go back to the South Pole! But we're here, we're here. We're here! Can you believe it Naruto!?" Korra shouted, bouncing up and down on his chest, the bed squeaking and groaning with her added weight, Naruto doing the same as her rather… dense body from a literal lifetime of training beat upon his body.

"Gahk, Korra! Let me get up and then I'll tell you!" Naruto groaned out irritated, heaving the girl off of his body and quickly rising to avoid another pounce. Rapidly, Naruto began to put on the traditional water tribe clothing, only to be stopped by an aggressive tug from Korra, nearly throwing his balance out completely.

"You're not wearing that whole getup, are you?" Her glance told him she thought he was being stupid.

"Well, yea. I mean, I've been wearing it for what, 11 years now? I don't see a reason to stop now." Her stare only became worse as he finished, her mouth dropping open and her eyes widening, before an excitement overcame her accusatory stare as she grabbed his arm.

"But don't you see!? We're past all of that now! This is the next step in our lives Naruto! You can't keep wearing that stuff anymore! Plus, it'll be waaaaaaaaay to hot with that on in Republic City."

"Hrmmm well, I guess you're right, for once." Naruto elbowed the girl and laughed, a teasing look on his face as his sapphire eyes glowed with amusement at her pouting glare. "But, what should I wear then?"

"Welllll… you don't have much to work with, do you? Just all this water tribe junk huh?"

"Oi, don't talk about it like that. For one, this is your _heritage _might I remind you, and two, I'm proud to have been brought up in the Southern Water Tribe. I would've been a criminal, if not dead, had your father not taken pity on me. I'm wearing this _junk _as you called it, whether you want me to or not." Finishing with a huff of irritation, Naruto began to pull on his water tribe gear with angry, aggravated movements, though Korra spoke up.

"Come on, you know I didn't mean it that way." Naruto didn't look at her. "Come onnn. I'm sorry, okay? Is that what you wanted." Glancing at her, Naruto sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Fine. How about a compromise, I won't wear the jacket. Deal?" Seeing the way she beamed up at him, Naruto smiled as well.

Finally finished a minute later, Naruto stepped out of his room with a large pack on. His top consisted of a tightly-fit light blue shirt completed with a dark blue band on his left arm, and two dark blue fit sleeves on his forearms. Adorning his waist were wolf furs, symbols of becoming a man in the eyes of the Southern Water Tribe, and as such, he would never take them off to remember perhaps one of the best nights of his life. Baggy, snow-ready dark blue pants, and his lower appearance finished with standard boots. Though, Korra noticed, he did have a circular pendant hanging from his neck, roughly half an inch in diameter, adorned with a swirling symbol. She had never noticed he worn it around his neck.

"Hey, what's this Naruto?" Voicing her curiosity, Naruto stared at the pendant as she appraised it, the swirling symbol glinting in the light. For a brief moment, the world darkened and blood caked his eye, the symbol beaming into his only remaining eye, a smile holding it impossibly far away from him. In a panic, Naruto tore the pendant out of Korra's hand and clutched it to his chest, breathing slowly. Korra looked at him in shock.

"Sorry, just, this means a lot to me. It was my mother's." Naruto did not say more, brushing lightly past Korra and down the hall of the boat.

Korra caught up, but figured that the pendant was a touchy subject and wisely choose to ignore it. Growing irritated by the silence though, as the overwhelming energy she exhibited, she quickly began to skip and grin.

"So, Naruto, remember anything about Republic City?" Korra questioned, knowing that he had initially grown up in the city until her father had brought him to the Southern Water Tribe, though she knew nothing of his life before that point, except for that his parents had experienced an early death. In her excitement, and her skipping, she did not notice the way Naruto's sapphire's darkened into ice, a trail of icy breeze following his pouch he kept for waterbending purposes.

"Yeah actually. When we get a chance, there's a theater my family used to go to every week. I think I still remember where it was. As for other things, well the police are metalbenders almost exclusively. At least the special forces are exclusively metalbenders, if I remember correctly. Ahhhmmm, well, all of the buildings are these towering achievements of modern architecture. And well, there's a massive statue of you. Well, the Aang you. Republic City's got a lot of places to visit and look at, so we'd best be sure to see all of em' so that you don't throw a fit."

"Hey!" Korra roughly jabbed into Naruto's side, though the boy found it hard to care, the smile on his face dulling the pain in his ribs. The pair continued until the light from the outside world burned Naruto's pupils, the initial bright glare dulling until eventually he could make out the looming skyline of Republic City from the dock.

Staring at the pair were a collection of very important people to the world, Naruto could tell simply by the way they held themselves, and well, he knew the majority of them. There was, of course, Tenzin, who had left with his family on his flying bison, preparing Republic City for Korra's arrival while she and him had taken the trip by boat. Next to his shiny bald head stood a woman clad in equally shiny metal armor, Lin Beifong. Damn, that woman was _still _running the police force of Republic City? Next to her was a wild card, a man dressed in some sort of Waterbender apparel, and flashing a massive and welcoming smile at specifically Korra, ignoring Naruto's presence, even at her immediate side. Finally, standing some distance away from the rest were a trio of people, all dressed in grass green apparel adorned with metal accessories, their apparent leader being a woman of similar looks to Lin Beifong, gray hair included. Tenzin went to step forward, only to be beaten to the punch by the man in watertribe apparel, who stepped forward with wide, welcoming arms.

"Ahhh greetings, Avatar Korra," the man dramatically bowed, causing Naruto to reel back slightly in shock, a confused look on his face, prompting a giggle from one of the people in green, "My name is Tarrlok. I'm the chairman of the United Republic Council. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm sure we'll be able to do _great _things for Republic City, together." Naruto instantly knew he hated that grin the man gave with a guttural, instinctual hatred. Korra, while clearly discomforted by the man, managed an awkward smile and a nod of acknowledgment. A clearly annoyed, and irritated, Tenzin stepped forward, making for a sight Naruto honestly thought he would never see.

"Yes well, it is good to see you Korra, and you too Naruto. These two lovely ladies behind me are Lin and Suyin Beifong. Lin is the Chief of the Republic City police force, and Suyin is the acting leader of Zaofu, the city state in the Earth Kingdom." Tenzin introduced the pair as they stepped forward, raising his hand towards the aged women. "This here is Avatar Korra and her friend, Naruto."

"Why hello! It's so good to see you Korra! And I'm sure you'll make wonderful company, uh, Naruto was it?" the Suyin lady stated with an airy, happy mood, grasping Korra's hands gently and smiling at the pair. "Over there's my stick in the mud sister, Lin, we don't agree on much other than not talking to each other. But well, you win some you lose some, and Lin wins a lot. Well," Suyin leaned in, a teasing smile on her face, "She likes to think so anyway. Hehe." Korra genuinely laughed at the energetic woman, seeming to enjoy herself, while Naruto continued to stare at Lin rather intently, thinking about something.

Lin stepped forward, ignoring both Naruto and Suyin, and leaning into Korra's personal face.

"I came today simply to inform you that, despite your status as the Avatar and Avatar Aang's good relations with my mother, you will not be receiving _any _special treatment from the Republic City police force, especially from me. You take one step out of line and you will be punished accordingly. A connection to the spirits and glowing eyes will not save you from the law. Remember that. And you, young man, when I was told of your arrival I did some digging to make sure I knew who you were. After what I found," Naruto stepped back in fear when Lin reached out her hand, only to stare into her eyes when she rested her hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner, "I'm sorry for what happened, and should you need anything, I will extend at least formal help that I feel is necessary. Beyond that, you're on your own." Patting his shoulder once more, the rough woman walked away, ignoring her sister completely.

Naruto watched her go, his mind pulled back into his misery from her words, not even noticing that the eyes of everyone in the group were on him. Naruto did not acknowledge the eyes, but looked at Korra with a fiery intensity and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Korra, I got some things I need to do. I'll uhhh, I'll see you tonight and we'll go tour the city like we said, ok?" Without giving the girl a chance to reply, Naruto jogged off towards Chief Beifong, catching up quickly, leaving an intrigued, and slightly worried, group of people, and a bewildered and slightly hurt Korra.

"Well, anyway, I think it's time that we introduced Republic City to the Avatar, huh?" Tarrlok offered, trying to sway the group's attention from the rapidly disappearing figure that was Naruto, only to be met with some well hidden irritation from Tenzin.

"That can wait for later Tarrlok. This is Korra's first day in Republic City and there are much more important things to do. We've got to show her Air Temple Island and see if she's got any natural skill at Airbending, and then we've got to get her settled in. Besides, it seems she's got plans with that young man, so whatever you've got planned for her can wait. End of story."

Tarrlok seemed very annoyed, even angry, though he was ignored as the group began to walk forward, forming a protective semi-circle at Korra's sides. Suyin smiled, and walked close to the girl, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry Korra, he's just dealing with my sister. He _should _be fine." She comforted, seeing the clear discomfort on Korra's face, the girl ignoring the rest of the group and staring at where Naruto's figure had disappeared.

"Yea but, we're always together. If he needs to deal with something, why couldn't I help? I mean, I'm the Avatar, I should definitely be able to handle whatever it is that he needs help with, right?" Korra questioned, looking into the eyes of the Beifong woman for guidance, to which she smiled.

"Perhaps it is because you are the Avatar that he did not ask you. You've got a lot on your plate as it is, simply by being the Avatar. Maybe he feels that his problems are beneath you, and because of that he doesn't want to bother you about them. But of course, maybe he just doesn't wanna make you worry. Besides, you two've got that date later tonight hmm?" Suyin teased, smiling as the girl's face colored in embarrassment.

"D-Date?! No. Nonononono we're just friends! Plus, I've never been to Republic City and he has, so… so he's gonna be my tour guide! Yeah, my tourguide!" Korra rebutted, though Suyin merely laughed at the poor girl.

"I know a crush when I see one little girl, you can't fool these eyes." Suyin laughed as Korra grew increasingly frustrated at her coy attitude, though she grew slightly serious in an instant. "Though, I hate to be a tough old woman, but as the Avatar, your security must be ensured. I don't doubt that not only you and that boy are capable, but there is still concern. I'll have one of my people act as your security during this so called 'tour', so don't be surprised when they show up ok?"

_The #1 concern that I saw in the reviews after posting Chapter 1 was the lack of power Naruto wields as a character. While I am a little irritated by these concerns, I understand why they are there. The majority of stories in this crossover's space, actually really just any story with Naruto in it, have his character as an overpowered god there so that the entire world and story revolves around him. I get that, I enjoy that from time to time. But this story isn't like that. Naruto's power in this story doesn't come from wielding two elements or some overpowered fox in his gut or something like that. Naruto is, for the most part, a normal character in the universe he's set in. However, this doesn't mean that Naruto is just some run of the mill bender._

_The concern that Naruto won't stand out is justified, and my response to the power and stand out concerns are simply this:_

_1:) That was the first chapter, be patient. Goku didn't destroy planets in the first episode of Dragon Ball._

_2:) Naruto isn't from his own universe, he's a normal citizen of Korra's Universe._

_3:) Korra is the __**Avatar**__, so by default she should, generally, be the strongest bender on the planet. She's leagues ahead of other benders who have mastered their element simply by being intermediate in all of her elements._

_4:) No, Naruto will not simply go to Korra to have her resolve her issues. His whole character works as quite the opposite as I will explore._

_And finally 5:) He'll have power. Naruto will be a mover and a shaker. Eventually. Be patient._

_Hopefully I was able to put to rest the concerns that you guys have._


	2. Chapter 2

_To the Guest that was worried his concerns got to me, don't be man, its criticism and I don't let it get to me. As for the questions about adding Asami, I'm sorry but as it stands that's nearly a definite no. One person asked if Korra would date around, and to answer that I highly doubt it. With the way I have things currently 'planned' out, even if Korra were to date around it would be because she wants to get at Naruto for something he does, to which he wouldn't't even notice. As for why he would be so ignorant, I can not reveal though I'm sure it's easy to see why._

_One reviewer made an interesting point that if Naruto isn't from his own universe then he's not really 'Naruto', and I agree. He is a glorified OC. But the concept of OC's as a whole have always just been really off-putting to me, they generally aren't thought out well and are just a turn off to me. Plus, I've been writing with Naruto as a character for a long time, and he's basically become this staple character in a sense to me, more of a template than anything else. He works as an instantly recognizable character that readers have expectations and history with rather than some OC that they won't ever really care about._

_Oh, and one more thing, I would like to apologize for the pitifully short first two chapters. I haven't been writing in quite a while, to the point that my hands feel awkward on the keyboard, and I am kind of stunted in my ability to write the lengths I feel these chapters should be. I am going to work at that from here on forward._

_With all of that said…_

"_You. You're a disgusting, manipulative… pest! A, a fox! Yea, a fox is what you are! I'll, I'll make her see you for what you are!" - ?_

"Agh I can't do it!" Korra's loud shouting echoed throughout the usually peaceful Air Temple Island, the gleaming skyline of Republic City beaming over the temple as Korra fell once more on her back, airbending attire dirtied and torn from many failures to even _progress _in the training she was receiving. Tenzin walked over towards the frustrated Avatar, reaching his hand out to help her, though the girl refused and angrily used a spiral of firebending from her hands to launch her upwards into a deflated stance.

"The key is to be li-" "I know I know I know! 'Be like the leaf' I've heard it at least 50 times now! I can't be a leaf! I can be fire," Korra's frame became wrapped in an angry orange plume of flame, "I can be water," the flames around Korra vanished as a wonderful spiral of water and ice formed a vertical ocean across her body, "I can even be earth," the water seeped into Korra's bending pouch as stone crawled up her legs and over her torso in the process, "But I can't be a leaf!" Korra finished with a violent expulsion, the three previously used elements exploding behind her as she glared at the calm Tenzin.

"That is why I am teaching you Korra. To be like the leaf. This is only day one, you will learn it within time. Now, let's get back to the exercises." Ignoring Korra's groan, the airbending master proceeded to once more launch a literal wall of air at the many wooden boards, causing a symphony of moving pieces to become one, spiraling dance. From the air it almost looked like the gears of a watch, as even though the boards were close enough to touch in some areas, they never did, for the air carried them to safety. This was the lesson Tenzin was trying to teach to Korra with little success.

Beginning once more with an irritated, yet determined glare, Korra launched herself into the boards, only to once more get beaten by numerous pieces of inanimate, unthinking, unfeeling, stupid pieces of WOOD! The anger and frustration continued to build exponentially as her torso was beaten back and forth roughly and harshly, and Korra began to feel _flames _spark in her chest, and her teeth grit, until her eyes opened and caught sight of perhaps her biggest source of happiness, regrettably, frustration in the past few hours she had spent in Republic City.

Determined, Korra began to try and weave through the walls, managing to avoid a few hits but still ultimately failing the exercise, though it was a marginal improvement as she had actually managed to flow for a brief moment like a leaf. Groaning, Korra sat up at the opposite side of the training spot, beaten and bruised, though through the walls she watched as golden rays of hair beamed back at her as Naruto conversed with Tenzin.

Smiling happily, Korra launched up and dusted herself off before rapidly jogging towards Naruto.

"Hey! Naruto! It took you forEVER to show up. Was that chief lady really so interesting?" Naruto's brows rose before his smile rose to meet them as he waved back, high fiving the girl as she approached. This confused Korra though. "What was that for?"

"Well, Tenzin just told me that was the best attempt you've made at these wall things so far. So, good job!" His smile made Korra feel giddy as did his words, but she was still confused.

"But I failed the task. I'm just not cut out for airbending." She sighed depressedly, though Naruto frowned and smacked the back of her head lightly.

"Oh cut that crap out. Progress is progress. I mean, you're the Avatar. You'll get it eventually, otherwise you can just cheap out and use the other three elements. I mean, you're a master at those so you'll do fine." His words really made Korra felt like she was capable of fighting the whole world and winning. She smiled despite her aching body, though her mouth dropped into a curious 'o' as she stared at Naruto.

"Hey, what were you doing while you were gone anyway?" Leaning in, Korra hoped Naruto would tell her, as it had really bothered her that he didn't earlier. Naruto seemed pensive, and waved away Korra's question.

"Aghhh don't worry about it, just asking Chief Beifong a question or two and then making my way here. While we're out later I've got to go back to her and grab something she said she'd get for me though, but we can do that when we're on our way back here. Anyway, how's it been on Air Temple Island? Anything interesting?" Korra didn't miss the way Naruto looked away from her when he passed off her question, though decided that it really must not be important if Naruto didn't want to tell her.

"Ah well, I saw Tenzin's kids again, you remember them right? Then I got dressed in this stuff while the White Lotus guys were putting my stuff away, and I think they put your's away but well, you know the White Lotus. And then well, Tenzin started to teach me airbending, well not really teach since I can't get it at all! Ugh." Korra crossed her arms, reminding herself of her frustration. Tenzin, who was standing awkwardly behind Naruto the whole time, had the decency to rub the back of his head in exasperation, though Naruto merely chuckled.

"Seems like an interesting day you've had here. Cool. Well, I'm gonna go see if I can get my stuff set up here, but I'll be back soon, k?" Korra nodded and Naruto waved before jogging away, nodding at Tenzin as he left towards the temple.

"Well now that your break is over, let's get back to your training. You did much better during your last attempt, I'm confident that you will be able to make some more progress. Once more." With his piece finished, Tenzin once more bent a wall of air towards the boards. And once more, sounds of flesh on wood echoed throughout the open space of the temple.

Naruto trotted slowly towards the dormitories, hoping that the White Lotus guards were nice enough to at least put his stuff in the dorms. While he understood that their devotion was ultimately to Korra, or rather, her status, it seemed that when it came to anyone else, the group lacked basic human decency. At times, it seemed to Naruto like they were a glorified cult given actual responsibilities. Laughing at his own thoughts and shaking his head, Naruto entered the dormitory hall, to be met with the surprised face of a green and metal clad woman.

Naruto's eyes were immediately drawn to her face, naturally, though they trailed down to the small beauty mark under her eye, and then onto her rather soldier-like apparel.

"Uh-uhhhh, who're you?" Naruto questioned defensively, though his aura was one of awkwardness as he didn't want to get caught staring. The woman merely smiled in a placating manor, putting her hands out to try and calm the boy down.

"Hahah, relax, relax. My name is Kuvira, and I'm a soldier of Suyin Beifong. She sent me to the island to act as a personal guard to Avatar Korra. I was there when you two arrived at the port. Naruto, right?" Kuvira's smile calmed Naruto immensely, and he found he enjoyed seeing it, smiling back at her.

"Yeah, damn, I think you're the first person since I got here to actually know my name, let alone remember it. Thanks for that." Naruto sighed exasperatedly, leaning on the wall next to the door he had entered, Kuvira standing in front of him with a hand on her hip.

"Ah don't mention it, if you didn't make such a funny face when Councilor Tarrlok was talking to Korra I probably wouldn't have remembered." Kuvira joked, chuckling as she looked at him for his reaction. Naruto just sighed with a smile on his face, dryly chuckling in a sarcastic mannor.

"Greeaaaat, anyway, I've gotta see if those White Lotus guys put my stuff here. You see a big pile of Southern Water Tribe lookin' stuff?" Kuvira chuckled, staring at Naruto for a brief moment after his question.

"No. Anything important in there I should know about?" Her question seemed odd, but being a soldier Naruto figured she just wanted to know as much about her situation as possible.

"Not really. Just a few changes of clothes and some pictures of me n' Korra but I'm sure she's got those. Guess it's not so important, but even if it was, the White Lotus probably left it on that damn boat. Gah, those guys are lame." Naruto groaned, crossing his arms angrily and kicking some dust on the floor. Kuvira openly laughed, prompting Naruto to look at her in irritation. "What?"

"Hahahaha, it's just, haaaaa, the noble and respected White Lotus being called "lame". Haaa that cracks me up." Kuvira wiped a tear from her eye as she bent forward, hand at her stomach. Naruto raised a brow, but laughed anyway.

"Well I mean, they _are _lame. All they care about is Korra, and they don't really care about _her _per se, but rather, her title. The Great Avatar. If they really cared about Korra she would've been out of that damn compound since the day she knew she wanted to get out. She's been complaining and complaining and complaining about that place for years now." Naruto explained, looking off at nothing as he thought back on the pair's childhood. Kuvira seemed interested, and motioned for Naruto to continue.

"Well, I guess they were nice enough to let me in the compound with her, well rather, Korra's father forced them too. We both kinda needed each other back then, these days it seems different."

"How so?"

"Oh, ah, well, no it's nothing nevermind. Just me being stupid, that's all." Naruto shut up quickly, leaving the pair in an awkward silence as Kuvira thought on what she had been told while Naruto merely tried to get over something in his head.

"Well, seems like all you've done is talk about Korra, what about you?" Kuvira's question seemed to surprise Naruto, and the genuine curiosity threw him for a loop.

"Wha-about me? Ah well, I don't know I'm pretty boring. I mean, compared to Korra anyway. I guess the only interesting thing about me is that I've been Korra's friend since uhhhh, I think since we were 6 and ½? That'd be 11 years now. Other than that uhm, well, I can waterbend I guess, but I'm not nearly as good at it as Korra is. I didn't really get much practice other than getting my ass handed to me by her everyday." Kuvira nodded, trying to pick apart just who Naruto was, though he wasn't really giving her much to go off of.

"So you're a waterbender hm? Care for a spar?" Her offer caused Naruto's eyes to bolt open, a little spark igniting in there that Kuvira caught, making her smirk.

"Spar? Uh, well, nononononono. It'd just be my loss, so there's no real reason to do it, right? Being a soldier n'all probably means that you're pretty good at bending, huh?" Naruto asked, trying to get off the topic of a spar. Kuvira looked at him unamused at his blatant rejection of her spar offer, but did not let it put her down. Smiling, the proud woman nodded.

"Yes, a rather fine bender if I must say so. And," Kuvira looked into Naruto's eyes with an amused and teasing gleam, reminding Naruto _far _too much of Korra, "A damn fine dancer too, if that suits you better than a spar." Naruto blushed, and awkwardly covered up his face in embarrassment, prompting Kuvira to smirk in amusement. She found that the boy was incredibly fun to tease, as there was this, innocent aura about him that just drew her to him.

"I've uh, I've never danced." Naruto mumbled out, looking at anything that wasn't Kuvira at the moment. The girl laughed, grabbing onto his shoulder and pulling him out of the dorm.

"Hey, woah, stop! I, I don't wanna dance! I'm probably bad at it, I, I've never done it! Come on, stop!" Naruto's weak struggles only spurred Kuvira on, until she stopped at a flat area outside of the dorms, overlooking the sea. A defiantly rebellious smirk took hold over her face as she looked at Naruto.

"Who said anything about dancing? We're sparring Naruto, unless," she smirked once more, the teasing gleam flashing over her emerald eyes, "You'd prefer a dance?" Naruto's face flared up again as he turned away from Kuvira, prompting the girl to laugh boisterously.

"Fine, we'll spar. Just, as long as we aren't dancing." Naruto turned around to see a fake-crying Kuvira.

"Oh you don't want to dance with me?" Kuvira pouted, prompting Naruto to wave his hands at her with a worried face.

"Nononono its not that jus-" "HAHAHAHAHA!" Kuvira interrupted him by laughing boisterously, making Naruto realize that he'd be played again.

"Gah, you're just as bad as Korra is."

"Well what can I say, great minds think alike. Plus, you're just too damn easy to tease,

Naruto. It's your own fault." Kuvira explained, casting her arms out to her sides in a manner-of-fact motion. Naruto just sighed, bending his knees and loosely readying himself, though he furrowed his brow when he felt the weight difference without his heavy coat. Kuvira shifted into her stance as well, fists up and ready, though she noticed his brow.

"What's wrong?" To hear a genuine question from the girl that had been teasing him relentlessly the past five minutes shook Naruto to the core, though he shook that off.

"Nothing just, this is the first time I'll be bending without my coat. Korra convinced me to not wear it in Republic City since, well, it'd be waaaaay too hot." Naruto explained, waving off her concerns and settling, popping open his pouch loudly as it swung at his backside, beating lightly onto his wolf furs as he swirled the water inside in preparation. Kuvira, feeling the anticipation of a fight boil into a steaming eruption of excitement.

"Begin!" Kuvira shouted, though neither fighter moved. Kuvira because she was naturally more of a reactive fighter, and Naruto because well, Korra usually ran at him with elements erratically flying around her. Kuvira narrowed her eyes at the way Naruto's body tensed and relaxed after she said begin, noting that it seemed to be a rehearsed action. He prepared himself for an early attack, but _braced _instead of got ready to react.

Naruto felt his heart pound. Any moment she'd end it. He could see it. The metal on her outfit, as little of an amount it was as it seemed more for appearance rather than use, would fly into the air and sharpen, _gleam. _A floating knife. A smile.

Naruto breathed in heavily, his body _moving. _He had no time to ponder on the extremely different reaction to _that _gleam, but his body moved erratically. Frantically. He felt his heart thunder away. He felt his veins physically bulge with how fast the blood was pumping, with the sheer pressure of it. Naruto stepped forward, sweat flying off of his body already, his eyes twitching in an instinctual fight or flight, and his arms heaved forward from his lower hip and forming an arch around his head.

The water in his pouch did not move but rather, the _sea _swelled upward with his motions and formed an imposing wave behind him that blotted out the sun. Kuvira stepped back and admired the wave with wide eyes before her eyes dropped to Naruto and her lids narrowed. The boy didn't even _see _her as it stood. He was seeing something else, staring into the air with fear dripping from his eyes. Kuvira took the advantage. She was a natural born winner after all.

Stepping forward with quick and concise movements, Kuvira launched 2 metal plates at Naruto, each slamming into his wrists and forcing the wave backwards, slapping loudly onto the rest of the water and spewing up droplets like mist around Naruto, prompting the boy to groan and cough as his back roughly connected with the ground. Kuvira pressed the advantage, rushing the blonde with a gleam in her eyes.

Naruto heard her footsteps, but it was drowned out by his thundering heart. He felt the mist, but it was dulled by the feeling of his own blood _screaming _from his jugular. He felt his entire body shake. He looked at his wrists, and where there was red marks from Kuvira's metal, he saw blood. It spewed. Naruto panicked, and his eyes finally caught sight of Kuvira as she rapidly appeared above him, two plates floating around her shoulders, having come from the metal flower-like piece on the center of her chest.

Quickly, Naruto snapped his arm up, and the water from his pouch spewed forward, slamming into Kuvira as it quickly froze, forming a wall between her and Naruto. Naruto launched himself upwards, sliding backwards and hitting the railing that kept him from falling into the ocean. Kuvira shattered his ice wall with a spear made of Earth, rushing towards him, as she knew in order to get him to react she had to be the aggressor. She didn't know what was going on with him but she was keen to try and get him to attack just once.

Naruto watched as the defense he tried to build was rapidly and purposefully attacked and destroyed with an almost robotic accuracy. His breathing felt shallow, but with each breath he felt… something. He didn't know what it was. He wanted to draw on it, felt a primal need to, but he couldn't. He didn't understand. This was just a spar. Just like the one's he does with Korra. But, why did it feel so different?

He knew why. He didn't really _know _Kuvira. Maybe, maybe that was it. He could see it. From the moment she bent the metal all he had been seeing was his own death. Yes. That had to be it. He didn't know if she would _kill _him. He felt his body surge at that thought. His breath hitched. He grit his teeth. A tear escaped his left eye. And he smiled. He'd see them again. Naruto closed his eyes to accept this fate, but when he closed them, a smile met his mind. Burned itself into his eyes once more, until all he saw when he opened his eyes was that smile.

Kuvira watched as Naruto seemed to seize up in fear, and her eyes widened when a tear trailed down his cheek, until suddenly it flew towards her, freezing along the way into a thin, _sharp _icicle that sliced through her cheek and exploded into a furry of mist. She grit her teeth and hissed in pain, until she noticed that Naruto was once more not looking at her. She narrowed her eyes. Something was wrong with him. She knew that much at this point.

Deciding she needed to end it before Naruto did, Kuvira no longer allowed herself to be distracted by _his _issues, and launched the rest of her metal plates at him, linking them around each limb and forcing him into a restrained position. As she neared him to hear him concede, she noticed he was shaking. This time though, he was looking at her. _Her. _

Naruto felt it again. That helpless feeling. That feeling of being able to do nothing. _That _feeling. She would turn around. He was waiting. He knew she would. She'd leave him. Alone. Again. She'd take Korra this time. Or Tenzin. Or. Something. Someone. But he wasn't a little boy this time. There was no Tonraq to bring him to the South Pole. There was no waterbending tricks to make money, not with the equalists about. Was this the end?

A hand reached into his vision. He blinked. The metal on his joints left and floated up back into a floral piece on a green cloth chest. He looked up and found a soft smile. This one wasn't malicious. It wasn't fueled with pure psychotic desire to murder. It wasn't laughing at him. It was helping him. He tried to speak, but words left him.

"Come on," Kuvira smiled even though it crinkled up her scratch and forced some blood to leak down her cheek a little bit, "You didn't do that bad." And, Naruto smiled. It really wasn't that bad, was it?

_This still feels a little too short, but after something like this I don't want to immediately get into the tour or anything like that. _


	3. Chapter 3

_To address one guest review: Yes, this Naruto does act different from the normal Naruto, and while I understand that the Naruto we know is headstrong and challenges things without even a second thought, that is largely due to his upbringing, forcing people to notice him through his actions. This Naruto is different, and he is traumatized by the death of his parents. Normally, this wouldn't cause a character like Naruto to behave __**too **__different, but the real kicker is the utter uncaring attitude towards his very existence that the White Lotus exhibited, being far too invested in Korra to care about Naruto, even if he were to prank them and try to force a reaction, that left the very real threat of being removed from the compound, which would ultimately sever Naruto's only real relationship at that point, his friendship with Korra. There are still flashes of the old Naruto in there, but they are heavily subdued._

"_You could be so much… more! Don't you see? You are beyond this, even beyond the Avatar. You could be __**better. **__Let me show you!" -?_

Naruto shook slightly as he strode forward, hoping to whatever kindly spirit took pity on him that Kuvira would not notice. The spar had shown him something. Shown him a problem. To his side, striding forward away from the dorms to meet Korra once more in her Airbending training, Kuvira shot a glance to Naruto and noticed that the boy was striding forward without attention, and her eyebrow twitched upward for a split second as she saw his eyes narrow.

Naruto had an issue. That _damn _smile wouldn't leave him be. It would continue to torture him until he succumbed to its seduction and slid a boat made of sharp metal across the open expanse of his throat. He needed to deal with this, before it became a problem. For Kuvira , if not Korra, since she would be acting as, well, not really his guard but with how much time he generally spent with Korra he'd be protected on the sidelines. Extra baggage for the soldier, if you will.

Breathing in deeply, though quietly to not arouse worry in his companion, Naruto beamed at the sky to ease his chest. Chief Beifong would give him the file when he met her later tonight. She had promised. That, he desperately told himself, was all he needed to begin a rapid solution of his problem. To the side, Kuvira noticed the way that Naruto's cheek to cheek grin tightened and his teeth grinded into each other slightly. She decided that whatever train of thought Naruto was on needed to be broken, for even the dumbest street rat thug in Republic City could blatantly see something was wrong with Naruto. The delusions he seemed to suffer from, and the sheer panic and fear exhibited by the boy during their spar were warning signs. Kuvira, despite being a soldier and experiencing first hand, at the very least, familial death due to murders and such, had never seen anything quite like the total and complete fear upon another's face as she had seen on Naruto's. And, Kuvira did not know quite why, but it bothered her, even if only a little.

"Hey Naruto, you got anything for me on Korra? Maybe help me figure out how easy it'll be to act as her guard?" Kuvira's question was a double-whammy, and served to not only distract the golden blonde beside her, but also get some much wanted information. With the way the boy seemed to hold the Avatar on a grand edifice for worship, and their long history with each other, he seemed to be the most knowledgeable on the _actual _girl herself, rather than what the endless rabble from elders past their day seemed to spew. Naruto turned to look at her, his hands resting on the back of his head as he strode forward.

"About Korra? Ah, that's easy. She's super headstrong and determined. If she sets her mind to something, she usually finishes it, and quickly too. A lot of things just come naturally to her, though she struggles with the spiritual side of being an Avatar, and if you listen to Tenzin, that's why she's sucking at Airbending. Well, I'm sure that's what Tenzin thinks anyway, since if I recall correctly Airbending is the most spiritual form of Bending as Earthbending is the most physical, Water the most flexible, and Fire the most powerful." Naruto explained, staring into the gradually yellowing clouds of Republic City as the sun began to depart from the sea in the sky. Kuvira nodded, staring at the clouds as well as the pair walked.

"I was unaware that she was struggling with airbending." Kuvira mentioned, prompting Naruto to look at her, now noticing the slice through her left cheek. Sighing, Naruto reached down onto his waist, stopping his stride to pop open his bending pouch and weave together a thin stream into the air.

"What're you doing?" Kuvira questioned in a curious tone, through her eyes widened considerably when a cool, calming sensation flooded over her cheek, Naruto's chi flaring to life and seeping into her pores, a pleasant warming feeling spreading over her cut. Naruto looked to be focusing, as his tongue poked out of his lips and his brows furrowed together. When Kuvira realized what the boy was doing, she smiled softly and stared at the boy.

"There, sorry for doing that suddenly but I just now noticed that cut you've got there." Naruto explained, bending the water back into his pouch and tightening the cap, letting the pouch hang over his wolf furs once more as he turned, hands finding their place behind his head once more. Kuvira smiled as his form began to stride forward once more, shaking her head and walking with him.

"Thank you, by the way." Naruto nodded, though he treated it as any old common courtesy, though Kuvira knew that not everyone would heal a practical stranger from a spar that they _lost, _"Anyway, were telling me about Korra's airbending."

"Ah, right. Yea well, it's only been a few hours, but Korra was already able to partially bend Water, Fire, and Earth by the time she was 5, and she still hasn't made much progress with airbending, so this is by far her hardest element. It's weird to be honest, to see her fail. She's always been so gifted with everything she does, especially bending. She practically lives and breathes it. I'm sure her struggles with airbending have got her down in the dumps pretty deep. But, she'll forget that as soon as she's done with it, or she manages to airbend even a little. She doesn't really hang onto things for long. And, well, I'm sure she's just bubbling over with excitement to finally be out of that snow prison." Naruto explained, rounding the corner to see Korra flop roughly out of the wooden boards once more, huffing in frustration.

"Well, looks like you weren't lying. Before she sees us, between you and me, is she gonna be a problem for me, in the context of me being her guard?" Kuvira questioned, staring intensely into Naruto's eyes. As pleasant as his talk was, her job took precedent. Naruto looked at her, and then back over to Korra, before sighing.

"Yea. She'll hate that someone feels you need to be there. And well, she _is _a very good bender, and she'd rather fight alongside you rather than hide behind you. I'd go as far as to say she'll make it a personal goal of her's to show you she doesn't need you as her guard. Hrmmm..." Naruto put his thumb onto his chin in thought, before snapping his fingers and beaming a smile at Kuvira. "I got it! Just tell her that you're just there to act as assistance, and I'm sure she'll feel a little better towards you." Naruto offered, causing Kuvira to nod seriously, only to be interrupted by a loud shout.

"Naruto!" Korra's voice echoed out, prompting the pair to turn and watch as the girl came barreling towards Naruto, and Kuvira side stepped out of the way, noting the way Naruto did as well, though he caught Korra and quickly transferred her momentum into a spin hug. Where was that footwork during their spar?

"Ooooooo what took you so long? Spirits, you were in the dorms forever!" Korra exclaimed in an annoyed, yet excited fashion that gave Naruto a fair bit of nostalgia. Tenzin stepped forward exasperated at how easily his student was distracted. Naruto went to speak, though Kuvira stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"My apologies, Ms. Korra. I forced Naruto into a spar that took up more of his time, and resulted in his late arrival." Kuvira's near monotone apology made Naruto's eyes widen. This was a completely different person to the one he was just speaking to. Korra turned around and stepped away from Naruto towards the girl, staring into her eyes and narrowing her own.

"Hmmm. Sparring with Naruto huh? Naruto only spars with me…" Korra growled out lowly, glaring into Kuvira's eyes, though the soldier did not respond. Suddenly, Korra burst out laughing. "You've got to tell me how it went! But, later though, because uh, who are you?" Korra questioned, smiling exasperatedly and rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, a gesture she picked up from Naruto. Kuvira grinned, noting that Naruto did the same thing in her head and casting a glance towards the blonde.

"My name is Kuvira, and I was sent here by Suyin Beifong to-" "Be my guard yea yea yea I know. She told me about it earlier. Whatever." Korra's attitude dropped quickly, turning away from Kuvira with clear annoyance and looking at Naruto, who shrugged his shoulders at both girls, to Korra because he knew she didn't need nor want a guard, and to Kuvira because his idea was blatantly useless at this point.

"Anyway, when are we gonna go do that tour like you said Naruto?" Naruto went to answer Korra's question, but was beaten to the punch by a stern glare from Tenzin.

"You may go on your tour of the city, but only _after _the sun has disappeared past the horizon. Until then, you will continue your airbending training." Tenzin ordered, prompting a loud groan from the young and learning Avatar, the girl staring at Tenzin with an open mouth before hmpfing and stomping towards the boards training area once more.

Naruto sighed, smiling despite himself at the attitude of Korra. Kuvira noticed, stepping towards him and watching the girl walk away.

"You were right about her in every way. Headstrong, hates being treated like she needs protection, and forever annoyed by her shortcomings. I was right to ask you about her." Kuvira commented, glancing over at Naruto from the corner of her eye with a small smirk. She was disappointed when Naruto just continued to stare at the form of the Avatar as Tenzin once more prepared the training boards for use.

Groaning, Naruto sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees, smiling as he watched Korra, though he suddenly turned to look at her and smiled softly, patting the ground next to him, in an inviting manner, though Kuvira merely raised her brow at him.

"What? We've got nothing else to do right now, might as well sit and watch her right?" Naruto offered, though Kuvira merely laughed softly and sat down next to him, staring forward with a content look on her face. The pair continued to watch Korra practice for a few minutes before Kuvira decided she could stand probing Naruto's mind some more.

"So, what was with you and Chief Beifong earlier?" Kuvira asked quietly, though she knew Naruto heard it, if the slight dip of his smile was any indication.

"Oh nothing really, just asking her for help on something. I might've told you already, but during the tour later on I've gotta visit her office and grab something she's preparing for me." Naruto explained, chuckling as Korra expelled her frustration in a loud grunt before launching herself once more at the boards. Kuvira nodded, outwardly not reacting to his statement.

"Must be something pretty hefty if the Chief of the police force is personally helping you out with it, hm?" Kuvira continued, neither of them looking at each other. Naruto nodded slightly, narrowing his eyes a little as he watched Korra.

"Yea well, she's just being nice."

"The Chief isn't exactly known for being 'nice', Naruto." Kuvira's counter caused Naruto to raise a brow, though he controlled his reaction.

"Ah well, just gotta know how to appeal to her I guess." Kuvira smiled, turning to look at the blonde, prompting him to look at her.

"Ah well, you're pretty good at appealing to people then." Kuvira stated, staring into his eyes with a confident smirk plastered on her face.

Korra groaned as she slumped out of the boards once more, her entire body aching and in a large amount of pain, and as she forced herself to get up, she looked over at the two people sitting and watching her, or at least they would be watching her if they weren't locked in a staring contest. Korra raised her brow, before narrowing her eyes.

Suddenly she felt very… angry. Why was Naruto looking at that stupid guard instead of her? Wasn't she more interesting? Screw interesting, wasn't it always supposed to be her and Naruto vs. the world? She thought it would always be like that, but, there he was, ignoring her for some random person they'd never even met before today.

Korra growled, a puff of smoke coming out of her nose as her chi heated up and violently swirled inside her pathways. Korra stood up, anger flaring through her more than she'd like to admit, until she stopped as Naruto turned to her and waved with a big, bright smile, his hair beaming gold in the sun as he moved upwards to stretch his wave as high as possible. Korra's anger melted away, until her eyes met Kuvira's, the two staring at each other. Kuvira was smiling in a content manner, and Korra was narrowing her eyes with a bit of a pout from her lower lip.

"So, Naruto, since you're apparently going to be the tour guide tonight, what's the plan?" Kuvira questioned, smirking as Korra huffed and began to do the exercise again. Naruto looked at her for a moment, before looking back at Kuvira.

"Ah well, I've got at least two places in mind that we just _have _to see. First, we'll get some food at this wonderful restaurant, and then we'll go on over and visit a theater I remember from my years here. Then I'll probably do a few rounds around the city, showing Korra anything that comes to mind. And when the night's done we'll swing by the police office to grab my stuff from Chief Beifong, and then we'll catch a ferry from the White Lotus back to Air Temple Island." Naruto's plans seemed good enough, earning a small nod from Kuvira, before she thought of something.

"When was the last time you were in Republic City?" At this Naruto's face dimmed slightly, though he bounced back quickly.

"Back when I was 6, so I hope my knowledge is still relevant. A lot can change in 10 years." Naruto of all people would know how fast things can change, having had his entire life flipped upside down in a single minute that seemed to still stretch its course across 10 years.

"It should be fine. This will be my first time properly seeing the sights of Republic City as well, yesterday was my first day here. Suyin wanted to get here before the Avatar did so that she could properly prepare a welcoming party. You know, she's even planning a dance recital in Republic City. First time she's ever done a recital outside of Zaofu." Kuvira mentioned, looking slightly to her left to watch Naruto's reaction.

His brows went up slightly, less than she thought they would, though he turned to look at her.

"Really? I didn't know she even did dance recitals. I don't even know who Suyin is. Me n' Korra have been cooped up in the South Pole forever it feels like now." Naruto explained, staring once more at Korra. Kuvira smiled though, relieved that it wasn't that he didn't care about the recital but rather he didn't quite grasp its importance.

"Well, Suyin is a Beifong, and is Chief Beifong's half sister, though they don't get along well at all. Suyin is more of a… free spirit, and her ideals clash a lot with her sister. I don't think they've even spoken to each other in years at this point. Hopefully when Chief Beifong sees this dance maybe she'll be impressed enough to speak to her sister, but I doubt it. I can see just how much their lack of a connection is hurting Suyin inside. She's a family person above all else, so not talking to her sister has got to be painful." Kuvira explained, prompting Naruto to nod slightly in understanding, though his eyes still tracked Korra's form through the boards.

"I'm in the dance too, by the way. I wasn't kidding about being a good dancer." Naruto turned to look at her with wide eyes, his mouth dropping into an 'o' before it shot up into a smile.

"Really! That's cool. Where'd you learn to dance anyway?" The intensity of Naruto's eyes and the excitement in them made Kuvira feel a small puff of heat in her chest.

"Ah well, Suyin took me in when I was 8, and from there she taught me everything I know. About metalbending, earthbending, dancing too. She really came through for me. She's practically my mother, and I consider her my mother. She knows that." Kuvira smiled when talking about the woman that raised her with all the love a real mother would give. Naruto smiled too, seeing how much the woman meant to Kuvira.

"Heheh, its kind of the same way with me. Korra's father took me to the South Pole when he was visiting Tenzin here in Republic City to try and talk about her airbending teaching. From there I've grown up in the care of Korra's family and the Southern Water Tribe. I even earned my wolf furs, which is a rite of passage into adulthood for a Southern Water Tribe male." Naruto smiled while he explained, his hand ghosting over his furs as he stared at them. Kuvira nodded, turning her eyes to watch as Korra flew out of the boards and slumped onto the ground in pain.

"Seems we've had similar childhoods, huh?" Naruto mentioned, causing Kuvira to look at him with a raised brow, though she smiled when she realized he was right.

"I guess we have."

* * *

Naruto smiled serenely, staring out at the rapidly approaching Republic City as it gleamed and shined in the night, water spraying from the boat they were riding hitting his face, though he didn't mind. His hands gripped onto the rails lightly, and he felt the way the wind drifted through his hair, carrying it behind him.

"Oh I'm so excited! Republic City! I've only heard stories about this place! And I couldn't even see it when we arrived earlier, but now I get to! Thank you so much Naruto!" Korra beamed at him, grasping onto his arm and jumping up and down with excitement. Naruto smiled at her, waving off her gratitude and staring at the city, his chest suddenly clenching in on itself as a smile reflected off of all the windows he could see.

The boat docked, and the trio stepped off, Naruto staying behind to pay the driver and thanking him while Kuvira and Korra went ahead. Catching up with them, Naruto smiled at the sight he found.

Korra's face was practically glowing in euphoria as she stared at the scene. Cars drove past, people walked in groups, lights shined all around. This was Republic City, the world hub of activity. The densest population, the wealthiest upper echelon, and the tensest politics. There wasn't anything to not love about Republic City, if you listened to the media anyway. Naruto knew better than anyone how bad the city could be, truly.

"It's amazing." Korra whispered as Naruto approached, her eyes gleaming. Naruto smiled, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Welcome to Republic City." Naruto waved his arm out, gesturing across the expanse of industry and technology. Excitedly, Korra began to run forward, though a piece of metal flew out quickly and snatched her back to the group.

"What was that for?!" Korra demanded angrily, glaring at Kuvira as the girl bent the metal back onto her metal flower chest piece.

"You just tried to run into the road, where satomobiles are driving. You could've gotten hurt, or caused an accident." Naruto explained for Kuvira, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. Korra had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Come on, I'll lead the way." Naruto said, striding towards the crosswalk.

"So, where to first Naruto?" Korra questioned, walking beside him, secretly happy that their guard was behind the two of them. Naruto quickly jogged across the crosswalk, forcing the other two to follow, before slowing once more as the group crossed.

"Well, there's this one restaurant that I loved when I lived here. I wanna go see if they're still in business." And so, the group began to walk through Republic City. Occasionally, they would stop and show Korra something, but otherwise their trip was rather smooth and easy, which both Naruto and Kuvira appreciated.

Finally, Naruto stopped at a corner between two streets, his face contorting with confusion.

"What the…" Naruto muttered, staring at the sign that hung above the entrance to the restaurant.

"What is it Naruto?" Korra questioned, looking at him with a slight amount of worry. Naruto looked at her, and shook his head, before looking at the sign again. Then, Naruto wiped his eyes, and looked at the sign once again.

"Well, uh-hum, uh… Ichiraku _Sushi_… last time I was here it was Ichiraku _Ramen._" Naruto explained, with a brief amount of dread that the two girls caught.

"Well, it's still Ichiraku food, I guess, right Naruto?" Korra asked, looking at the sign and then back to Naruto.

"I guess we'll see. Let's go." And so, the group entered Ichiraku Sushi, and Naruto seemed to have a bit of trouble entering, still dreading what would be inside.

There was a large marble counter complete with a glass half-wall, stools surrounding it. A few tables dotted the floor between the entrance and the counter, and only a few groups of people were seated in the restaurant. Naruto's eyes dragged across the store, finding it largely the same as he remembered, though now it had an aura of… wealth to it. Like you would eat in this place if you had an above average paying job. It bothered him, because that went against _everything _that made up the Ichiraku that Naruto remembered. Naruto's mood brightened, however, when he spotted a familiar face at the counter.

"Teuchi!" Naruto shouted, practically sprinting across the restaurant towards the man. Said man looked up from what he was doing, and his eyes widened.

"Is that you, Naruto?" The man's voice sounded out breathlessly, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Wait, did you say Naruto dad?" Another voice echoed from the back, a brunette haired girl appearing quickly from behind the door, her eyes widening when Naruto reached the counter.

"Oh my spirits it is! My boy! How have you been, _Where _have you been! We haven't seen you in, what, 10 years now!" Teuchi exclaimed, stepping out from behind the counter and embracing Naruto, the brunette doing the same as Korra and Kuvira approached.

"Ooohhhh Naruto, it's been so long!" The girl exclaimed happily, holding his shoulders and looking into his eyes with a beaming smile.

"Who are these people, Naruto?" Korra questioned, with wide eyes. It was very… weird for her to see people so excited to see Naruto. He had practically only interacted with her and her family in the past 10 years.

"Ohhohohoho, these two are Ayame and Teuchi Ichiraku! I've known them since my parents moved to Republic City, and they used to serve me Ramen! Teuchi! Why are you guys called Ichiraku Sushi now!?" Naruto demanded, staring at Teuchi with an urgency to his face. Teuchi replied with a sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"About 2 years ago we fell into some hard times. Ayame's mother died and I got sick. Ayame tried her hardest to run the store but, well, she was only a 14 year old girl. There's just only so much she can do. Eventually, a large corporate came to us with a deal. Die out slowly and painfully as Ichiraku Ramen, or get funding and support as Ichiraku Sushi. You can see what I chose to do." Teuchi explained with a sad look on his face, and Naruto frowned too, his smile dying slowly as Teuchi continued.

"Oh, well…" Naruto muttered, looking at the floor. The three girls looked between the two men, until Ayame clapped her hands.

"We still serve the ramen Naruto! You remember the deal, don't you?" Ayame exclaimed in an excited mood, and Naruto nodded with fervor as Teuchi brightened as well.

"Of course I do!" Naruto nearly shouted, reaching quickly onto the pouch on his side and loudly popping the lid off. Quickly, the pair dashed behind the counter, Ayame grabbing a massive pot, and Naruto grabbing numerous spices from… somewhere.

Ayame loudly set the pot down onto a burner, and Naruto smirked, going through practiced motions, water rapidly flowing from his pouch and floating above the pot. Teuchi, Kuvira, and Korra watched as the water formed a spiral symbol in the air, before Naruto dramatically snapped his hand down, the water spiralling and filling the pot.

Ayame came up behind him, clearly annoyed.

"Oh come onnnnn Naruto! You always do the spiral! What about the star, I like the star." Ayame complained, staring at Naruto with irritation. Naruto turned around, a confused look on his face, irritation dripping from his sapphire eyes.

"Oh come on, I'm not gonna do _your _favorite for my first serving of Ramen in ten years! Come on Ayame, get real." Naruto groaned, turning around and popping the cap off of numerous spice bottles, tossing the spices into the mix with a dramatic show. Teuchi began to laugh heartily.

"Heheh, that boy. Always a love of the dramatic. Quite a showman, that one." His words caused both Kuvira and Korra's brows to rise to the top of their heads. Naruto a showman?

"Done!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, dipping his finger into the pot and louding moaning in joy. "Just as good as I remember!" He said loudly, grabbing a serving spoon and quickly making three bowls, one for each member of his group. Setting them onto his left arm, Naruto walked out from behind the counter and set them down in front of three stools, sitting in the middle and grasping a pair of chopsticks quickly, before beginning to tear away at the food.

Korra and Kuvira looked at each other, shrugged, and sat down next to the blonde. Hesitantly, the two tentatively took their first bites, and immediately they became just as ravage as Naruto was with how they were eating the food. Teuchi and Ayame grinned as they watched the trio, happy to have turned two more onto their food.

Korra finished, slamming her bowl down and sucking in air like a madman.

"Naruto that was, that was…" She struggled to find her words, interrupted as Kuvira set down her bowl lighter, in a controlled manner, before burping and causing a blush to appear.

"That was, that was…" Kuvira mumbled, until the two girls look at each other and then to Naruto as he slammed his bowl down, grinning as a noodle stuck to his chin.

"AMAZING!"

* * *

Naruto sighed happily as the trio left Ichiraku Sushi, full stomachs and happy mouths.

"Man Naruto, I didn't know you knew how to make food that good!" Korra practically shouted, eyes closed as her mind hung onto the last remnants of that glorious taste. Naruto chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he began to lead the group once more.

"Ah well, it's not my recipe. I learned it from old man Teuchi when I lived here. They'd let me come in and eat for free as long as I helped them make a batch of ramen, so I learned pretty quickly because I love those noodles hehehhhh yeahhhh…" Naruto seemed to go into a trance as he thought more about the noodles. Kuvira shook her head and grinned in exasperation while Korra relapsed into a trance much like Naruto did.

Shaking his head, Naruto laughed and continued to lead the group forward.

"Anyway, now we're going to go see if that theater I was telling you guys about is still there, hopefully it is. It's a pretty big building, and last I remember it might've even been the most popular entertainment in the city, but I could be wrong. If we're luc-" "Oi! You there, you're benders aren't ya?" Naruto was interrupted by an up-tight man with mutton chops and a small hat on his head.

"Uhhhh… yea?" Naruto answered, unsure of why the man was asking. The man hmpfed and held his nose high, narrowing his eyes at the group. Naruto raised a brow, before the man continued.

"I figured. It's practically spelled out for anyone by your outfits alone. Typical benders, trying to display your supposed superiority to any passerby. You disgust me. Get out of my face." The man demanded with a tone of superiority and egotism, despite the fact that he was accusing the group of those very same traits. This apparently pissed Korra off, as she shoved herself past Naruto and glared at the man.

"Oh yea? What's so bad about benders huh? We aren't bothering anybody, and, and you got in OUR way!" Korra growled, pointing her finger in the man's face with a snarl on her face. This only made the man smile arrogantly.

"Look at you. Confronted with a helpless non-bender and you immediately get in his face when he simply tells you about the wrongs you are commiting. Typical." The man's words continued to piss Korra off, though Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on Korra's shoulder, before moving her behind him.

"Listen sir, we aren't disturbing anyone. We're just trying to get to the theater." Naruto explained in a placating manor, prompting the man to stick his nose up and hmpf again.

"The theater? Heh, figures you'd be heading there. Trying to catch the pro-bending game I suppose. All benders are the same, truly." The man mumbled, shoving past the group and walking away. Naruto's brows furrowed in confusion, but Korra began jumping up and down.

"You never told me the theater was a pro-bending arena!" Korra shouted, smiling happily up at Naruto as her pigtails flew up and down with her jumping. Naruto frowned, looking at her.

"It's not. Or, it wasn't at least. Let's go check it out, I guess."

* * *

"Well, looks like he was right. It really _is _a pro-bending arena." Naruto muttered as the group walked towards the brilliantly shining arena, hundreds of people walking with them.

"Seems we got here at the right time, a game's about to start." Kuvira mentioned, having asked a passerby about the arena. Korra, hearing this, turned to look at Naruto with puppy eyes.

"Can we watch it Naruto? Please?" Korra asked, and, while it hurt Naruto and it was _very _hard to do, he had to deny her.

"I'm sorry Korra, we can't. It's already getting pretty late, and I've still got to grab that stuff from Chief Beifong I told you about. We'll see a game some other time, ok?" Naruto told the girl, and while he got an irritated huff in reply, he knew she was okay with it as she started walking away from the arena, causing Naruto to sigh in exasperation. Kuvira chuckled, and began to follow Korra.

-Line Break-

"Well, we're here." Naruto muttered to himself, walking into the Republic City policeforce's HQ, striding through the entry way towards a secretary near the entrance. Korra and Kuvira stayed back, looking around the building.

Eventually, Lin stepped out of an office to the left, and she looked at Naruto with a soft look in her eyes, a folder in her hands. Korra and Kuvira watched as the pair talked to each other, Lin handing Naruto the folder allowing him to open it. The pair caught a glimpse of a photo of a red-haired woman and a blonde man in the folder, before Naruto shakily closed it and thanked Lin, and prepared to leave.

"Wait, young man, can I see that photo?" Kuvira looked to her right as she heard a familiar face, and saw Suyin jog towards Naruto with considerable speed. Kuvira strode towards them, intent on at least greeting Suyin, and Korra followed because she didn't have anything else to do.

"What'd you say?" Naruto asked, holding the folder close to his person. Suyin looked at him, a little more thoroughly than when she had first seen him, and spotted the pendant in the middle of his chest. Her eyes widened slightly, and she stepped forward and grasped it, inspecting it, though Naruto stepped back and looked at her with a weird expression.

"What do you want?" Naruto demanded, a little anger finding its way to his voice.

"Sorry, but I recognized Kushina in that photo, and you've got her pendant. Say, you've even got Minato's hair. You're their kid aren't you!" Suyin exclaimed, confusing Korra and Kuvira, though making Naruto's eyes widen.

"You knew my parents?" Naruto asked, stepping forward a little bit to look into Suyin's eyes with hope.

"Yes, I did. They were great people, I'm sorry about what happened to them." Suyin apologized, placing her hand on his shoulders, once more confusing the pair of girls as this was the second Beifong to do so. What happened to his parents? Naruto shook his head, gently removing her hand from his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. But, how'd you know them?" Naruto asked, staring intensely at Suyin, who smiled in response.

"Ahaha, well, I really only knew Kushina, though I had talked to Minato a little bit before they made the trip to Republic City. A lot of people don't know this, but I took an extended leave from Zaofu to travel the world and try to get inspiration for my dances. And your mother was a wonderful piece of inspiration. Oh the things she could do with water." Suyin seemed to lose herself in her memories of Naruto's mother, staring off into space.

"Could you tell me more about her bending?" Naruto seemed desperate at this point, like a man without water. It made Korra uncomfortable, and Kuvira had to look away from him for a moment to compose herself. Suyin looked back at the boy, and could see the desperation in his eyes.

"Oh yes, but that'll have to wait for another time. Right now I've got to convince the police that I won't need protection during our dance recital. It would ruin the dance! We don't need any police there." Suyin groaned, glaring at the cops in the room as she said the last part a little louder. Kuvira stepped forward, confused.

"Wait, why would it ruin the dance?" Her question was good enough, though Suyin looked at her like she was an idiot.

"What? Kuvira, come on. The dance is meant to celebrate peace! The coming of the Avatar, which is this lovely lady right here! Having police there would make it seem like we're not confident in that peace, not confident in Korra's ability to maintain that peace! It would be disrespectful! And, speaking of disrespectful," Suyin turned to look at Korra, "I trust you'll be at the dance, right Korra? We _are _doing it especially for you. Don't disappoint now dear." The edge to her voice honestly and truthfully scared Korra, who nodded rapidly, causing Suyin to smile and turn around, her piece finished.

Naruto meanwhile, was looking at the folder he had clutched in his hands, his eyes wide with a sort of madness in them that his group missed. This would be all he needed, he continued to chant in his mind like a personal mantra. It was all he needed.


	4. Chapter 4

_To start, this chapter is shorter than the previous, and I believe it is the shortest chapter in this story, but I could not figure out a way to end it well unless I ended it here. And, as always, I'll address a few reviews.  
One reviewer said that he hoped this wouldn't turn into a Harem, and as I've stated in the summary and in response to a few reviews, this _**_should _**_be strictly Naruto x Korra x Kuvira. If that bothers you, feel free to not read. Asami is a _**_maybe, _**_that as I currently see it, will probably not happen._

* * *

"_Republic City took your parents Naruto! The only way to avenge them is to take Republic City! It is a city full of corruption, of greed, of crime, of despair. We can fix all of that, together! I'll help you, and you'll help me! We'll help each other!" - ?_

4 in the morning. The quietest time that Republic City ever exhibits. Even this city needs sleep, even though it barely gets it, seeing as the sun was already beginning to peak over the horizon and gleam onto the reflective towering buildings. From his dorm on Air Temple Island, Naruto slowly breathed, trying to remain calm.

His hands shook as they held the folder within his hands, a hefty thing it was, filled to the brim with reports and photos. _Information. _Sweat dribbled down the side of Naruto's temple, reaching his chin, where it held on for dear life before plunging onto his bed. Before he had only glimpsed at the contents of this folder, and had saved it for this moment. When everyone else was sleeping. When the memories in this folder could be contained. When even the sun wouldn't see.

Gulping, Naruto tentatively opened the folder. Greeting him was a photo of two people. One blonde with a sharp jawline, the other rose haired with a soft disposition. The boy felt his chest clench, as it had in the office. This time, it was worse. His sapphire eyes first trailed across their mirror image, to the hanging blonde bangs that gleamed golden in the flash of the photo, down to the navy purple, fur lined jacket, and reaching the similar pants, finding brown boots connected to dazzling and sparkling white snow.

Naruto flexed his jaw to stop his teeth from chattering, reaching forward slowly with an aura of reverence, before softly placing his hand across the image of his father. His index and middle finger ghosted across the canvas, perhaps leaving behind a trail of memorium, of grief. Naruto choked back a sob, strangling it in the back of his throat with his tongue. A tear launched from his left eye like a cannon, shooting across the sea of his cheek and reaching the folder.

The blonde man on the canvas smiled back at Naruto, even as the boy shook and pleaded with the spirits to teach him how to relieve himself of the flesh, even as the boy's immediate aura became icy, the air around him condensing into crystalline structures that floated all around his person.

Eventually, Naruto finished grieving for his father, his shaky frame releasing its ghosted hold onto the man's image, and moving to the woman that was hugging his side with an overbearing excitement in her expression. Naruto's lip quivered violently as his sapphire eyes trailed the heart-shape of her face, reaching the violet eyes that stared eternally happy towards the beholder. As their eyes met, one pair unmoving as a historical artifact, the other shaking violently as an earthquake raked the boys mind, his right hand seized upwards and grasped onto the whirlpool pendant draped across his chest.

She was captured while wearing similar apparel to the man beside her, though her purple seemed more regal. Belonging to the upper echelon. A status symbol. And, her bulging stomach was another symbol of a status. Pregnancy. Naruto's eyes lowered, his form suddenly stopping its shaking as he stared at her stomach. At that pathetic, wretched thing that would watch as these two, wonderful, oh so beautiful, oh so treasured, so valuable beings were _slaughtered. Gutted. __**Ended. **_Naruto shook once more, the air around him further cooling, snow falling across his frame, though he did not take notice of the cold gathering at his exposed shoulders.

Naruto reached his right hand out after prying it terribly away from the warmth that was the pendant, and ghosted it quickly across the canvas of red, silky hair. Naruto did not feel the old, wrinkled paper beneath his hands. He felt that soft, velvety hair. As he breathed he smelt her, his mother. And he cried. Tears flowed freely from his eyes, his body shaking and twitching in pain, seeking to relieve itself. To get these feelings _out. _But Naruto restrained them, focused them. Sadness became anger. Anger became hatred. Hatred bled together with fear and fused into a sickening, toxic acid that burned throughout his veins, tore away at his muscles and made the water within him fire. Naruto growled, even as his tears leaked into his open, grit mouth, even as his tongue tasted both blood and salt. He growled, until blood leaked from his mouth and dripped onto the face of his mother.

Half an hour later, Naruto set aside the stained photo, propping it up on his bed to allow his parents to watch. To guide. They had always made him feel better. They had always helped him. And they would now. They would show him the way, show him how to feel better. Who… who to _hurt. _To _pry. _To _kill. _To _slaughter. _To _maim, dismember, massacre, liquify, butcher. _To… _**Gut. **_

Naruto glared at the folder in his hands. His frame once more experienced a cataclysmic earthquake, though this one was not generated out of grief or sadness, but rather anger. And it was directed at one photo. One simple mugshot was all they had. The man had been arrested. Charged guilty for 17 murders. He had taken credit for them. And even during the trial, during the mugshot, officers noted that he wore a gut wrenching, face-splitting, eerie _smile _upon his visage. Naruto's frame exploded into a shaking, twitching mess. His face was unrecognizable as his eyelids spazzed, his lips quaked, his nostrils flared, his teeth grit, his cheeks snarled. His heart _thundered. _But, it was at this moment, that Naruto experienced a revelation.

His heart did not thunder out of fear.

It thundered out of anger.

* * *

Tenzin awoke in a cold sweat, his breathing heavy and burdened. He looked around his room frantically, sighing in relief when he found a peacefully sleeping Pema at his side. For a few minutes, Tenzin tried in vain to relieve himself of this foreboding feeling. It was as if the spirits themselves were pressing against his chest, willing him to move. To act. But, he could not for the live of him figure out what they were wishing him to do.

Unable to sleep, Tenzin resigned himself to his fate and got out of bed, careful to not rouse Pema from her sleep, knowing the pregnant woman needed it more than he did. Sighing in unease, Tenzin strode out of his room, using a crafty exercise of airbending to remove his sleeping attire and ghost his regular attire into his hand from across the room.

After putting it on and readying himself for the day, Tenzin strode about the dimly lit Air Temple Island, seeking out each area of the Island and inspecting it, searching for a sign from the spirits. For guidance. Tenzin found none. Desperately, he sought the dormitories with a keen sense of anxiety. If it was an issue with Korra… Tenzin's pace increased substantially.

But alas, even the female dorms proved to have everything in order. Confused, Tenzin paced quickly around the entrance to the female dorms, until a sudden thought revealed itself to Tenzin, and he nearly slapped himself on the forehead. That boy, Naruto. He had seemed troubled since Tenzin had met him, and, it was painfully obvious as to what troubled the boy. His parents. Tenzin had seen the bodies, he had been informed of what occured. And he had seen those _eyes. _Tenzin shuddered as he neared the boy's dorm, currently housing only one person.

Those eyes should not have belonged to a 5 year old child. Those eyes should not have belonged to any human being, whether cruel and vicious or heroic and kind. Tenzin beat himself up over that detail. How had he not extended his hand of support towards the boy? He was an Airbender! That was what they did! Tenzin was furious with himself, though his thoughts were quickly swept away as a cold breeze swept through the boy's dormitory as he entered it, causing him to shiver slightly. Was the dorm always this cold?

Striding forward, Tenzin looked at each room, unsure of which the boy had taken up residence in. Until, Tenzin found it. And his brow rose considerably, because, _snow _had slightly accumulated outside of the door, as if it were pouring out of the small gaps between the door and the frame. Fervently, Tenzin fell to his knees and tentatively placed his index and middle fingers into the small pile, and his eyes widened slightly.

This snow was unbelievably fine. He could feel the soft crystals of each individual flake. They did not clump together, as snow usually did, but instead they maintained an individuality, a fate separate from the mass. And Tenzin once more was angry with himself, because he _knew _this snow. He had seen it before. And it made sense, causing Tenzin more grief over his own ignorance. Of course the boy would be capable of this silky snow.

Quickly, Tenzin opened the room, and breathed a sigh of relief. The boy was asleep, peacefully in his bed. A strand of the boy's hair draped up and down in the wind from his breathing, and his body slowly mirrored the action. A sudden gust of warm, or rather, room temperature air hit Tenzin, and he smiled despite himself. Perhaps that foreboding feeling was merely akin to waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

As Tenzin walked away, relieved and calmed, he seemed to forget that thin, fine, silky snow that crunched quietly under the door as he closed it. And, as Tenzin closed the main entry to the dorms, he missed the way a cold breeze swept across his frame, carrying with it the scent of velvet red hair and strands of gold, mixed with an unholy toxin and grief.

* * *

Korra groaned loudly, her face squinched and crinkled as she stretched in the warm morning sun that beamed upon her frame, adorning, once more, the traditional clothing of airbending students. She smiled contentedly when her morning stretching finished, and turned around to spot a rapidly approaching Kuvira, though this time the girl was adorning a more soldier-like outfit, complete with the segmented metal pauldrons and collar that a soldier would be expected to wear, as well as the tighter fitting and more professional looking cloth underneath.

"Morning Korra, did you sleep well?" Kuvira greeted, hoping to try and ease some of the tension between them. Korra looked at her strangely, before shrugging and turning to fully look at her.

"I slept well enough, what about you?" Korra's question was a welcome surprise to Kuvira, who was happy that the girl seemed to just accept Kuvira's presence, at least for the moment.

"Yes, I did. It was a little strange, sleeping in the Monk dormitories, but they aren't too terribly different from the typical barracks of Zaofu." Kuvira offered, trying to engage in casual conversation while the pair waited for Tenzin's arrival. Korra nodded, understanding her words, though she looked past Kuvira, trying to spot either Tenzin or Naruto, though she frowned slightly when she didn't see either of them.

"Ah man, how long is it going to take those two?" Korra groaned in annoyance, slumping onto a railing and staring in irritation at the shoes adorning her feet. Kuvira chuckled, and joined Korra on the railing, though she chose to look at the sky instead of the ground, having focused on Earth all of her life.

"So, Korra, what's it like to be the Avatar?" Kuvira couldn't stop herself, her curiosity was seething when she woke up. She wanted to know what Korra felt about her status, and to see if the girl was really as sheltered from life as she seemed. Korra grinned happily, and stared at Kuvira with a deep ego that, while not harmful to anyone at the moment, was prominently there.

"It's great! Being able to bend all of the elements is amazing! But, well, I just love bending so I might be a little biased hehe," Korra's face flushed slightly as she scratched at her cheek, "But if I were to be honest the worst thing about being the Avatar is how everyone treats me like I'm a child they need to protect. It's so annoying! I can handle myself just fine!" Korra defiantly shouted out, striking a pose and pointing angrily at the sky as she finished, though Kuvira began to laugh lightly.

"What're you laughing at!?" Korra demanded, forcing her finger into Kuvira's face, who only smirked.

"Your shoe's untied, but it seems you can handle that yourself, right?" Kuvira joked, and chuckled once more as Korra fumed and hastily tied her shoe, before bouncing up again and glaring comically at the soldier.

"My point still stands! I can handle whatever anyone throws at me!" Korra exclaimed passionately, and Kuvira couldn't stop her brow from rising, a curious look overcoming her amused smirk.

"Oh really? Alright, I'll throw a few hypotheticals at you, ok?" Kuvira offered, not giving Korra time to answer as she looked at the sky.

"So, first one's the easiest example I've got right now. What're you planning on doing about the Equalists?" Her question threw Korra for a loop, who stared at her with a quizzical expression.

"The Equalists? What do you mean? What're the Equalists?" Korra asked, looking to Kuvira for an answer, who merely looked at her and frowned, frustrated that Korra really _was _sheltered from the world. To not know what the Equalists are… damn.

"You really don't know do you? Geez. Well, the Equalists are a group of non-benders that are banding together to protest the supposed assumed upper-status of Benders, and are trying their hardest to knock benders across the world down a peg. How they're planning on doing that I have no clue. That man we met last night, you know the one that tried to say we were striding around town looking for non-benders to push around? Perfect example. He had it written all over him." Kuvira explained, and peeked away from the clouds to watch as Korra seemed utterly confused, as if she couldn't comprehend something. And she couldn't.

"But, but how can people not like bending! It's so awesome! And, and cool! The world benefits so _much _from bending! I mean, look at Republic City, isn't the majority of the electricity used to run the city generated from lightning benders?" Korra questioned, receiving a confirmation nod from Kuvira, look sighed.

"I'm sure it is specifically those benefits that are upsetting the group. They are merely a group of people searching for their place in the world, and if they aren't benders, where are they to go? But, well, the real issue of the Equalists is their leader, Amon, if what I hear is correct. He's a damn brilliant public speaker. I listened to a tape of one of his speeches when it managed to make its way all the way to Zaofu, and, damn, I was nearly turned over to an Equalist myself. Combine a man like that with a group of lost souls looking for guidance and you've got yourself a mixture just waiting to bubble over into conflict." Kuvira explained, staring at Korra, trying to judge the girl's reaction.

"So, Avatar Korra, how do you plan to deal with the Equalists? You can't _force _them to like benders, and using force against them will only increase the tensions and potentially cause a civil war right here in Republic City. And I'm sure you can't exactly convince them, as the last person they will listen to is you. So, are you prepared to deal with the Equalists?" Kuvira's question lingered in the air, and Korra seemed genuinely stumped, and her aura seemed as if she had a grand revelation, though the moment was spoiled by Tenzin's entrance into the scene.

"Morning Korra, Kuvira." Tenzin nodded respectfully, receiving a nod from Kuvira and a distracted wave from Korra, who was still trying to ponder Kuvira's question.

"Well, let's get started Korra. Today we'll be-" "Where's Naruto?" Kuvira interrupted, looking around the training area for the blonde, but not seeing his form. Korra shot up at the mention of the boy, and looked around as well, frowning when she didn't see him.

"Yeah… where is he? He's usually up and at em before me, and if he isn't I usually wake him… Well, I didn't wake him this morning, so maybe he's still sleeping?" Korra offered, though her eyes lit up as she saw an approaching frame, golden hued hair beaming in the sun in greeting, the boy entering the area slowly, as if he was walking through sludge.

"Morning, uhlh, hey guys." Naruto mumbled as he approached, lazily waving at the group before dragging his hands across his face, shaking it slowly as if he was still trying to wake up. Kuvira smiled and waved, as did Korra, while Tenzin bowed slightly in greeting.

"Alright well, let's get started." And so, a cycle started. A routine, if you will. Each and every day, Korra would try to train her airbending, Kuvira would guard the group, though she would leave usually halfway through the day to go and practice for the upcoming dance recital, and Naruto would sit quietly, either leaning up against a railing, sitting on a bench, or crossing his legs on the ground. And each and every day, Naruto would show up late, walking through the same mental sludge. But, Korra and Kuvira began to notice slight changes. A darkening around the boy's eyes, a dulling of the sapphire in his eyes, and even a dimming of the golden hue that was his hair. It seemed to them, that the boy wasn't getting enough sleep, if he was at all. And that worried them, deep down.


	5. Chapter 5

_Alright, I don't have any reviews to address this chapter, so all that means is you guys need to review more! Seriously, reviews are a wonderful way for me to know what works, what is good, etc._

* * *

Naruto stumbled forward, his body heaving forward in pure exertion stemming from the will to move forward. His head slumped forward, dangling off of his shoulders by his neck, before snapping upward, revealing to the world as sunlight bathed his face deep and dark pockets under his eyes, hazed over icy eyes, and a dull golden hued lock of hair that hung limply in front of the boys face.

"Morn...ing." Naruto mumbled, practically falling over into a sitting position and hanging his head, closing his eyes. Korra, being the only person in the training area at the time, sat next to him, concern glowing from her eyes.

"Are you okay Naruto?" At mention of his name, Naruto's head dragged itself upward in a motion akin to a drowning man on his last legs, and stared at Korra with an open mouth. Korra frowned, her eyes lighting aflame with worry, trailing the lock of hair that hung limply. His hair was no longer that inspirational, lovely hue of gold, and rather now looked like fools gold. A fake.

"Mmm fine." Naruto groaned, closing his eyes slowly and looking at Korra, his cheeks slowly lifting into a half-smile before his head slumped forward again, the boy appearing to nod off, though he snapped up again and looked around in a daze.

"Naruto, something is clearly wrong. Whatever it is, you can tell me, you know that. You're my best friend, so whatever it is, please, Naruto, tell me." Korra pleaded with no small amount of worry, one hand reaching across Naruto's shoulders and pulling his head to look into her eyes with the other. The boy seemed to gain some semblance of alert, staring at her with eyes that looked like frozen over lakes, his face twitching with an obvious urge to tell her something, before Naruto shook his head and looked down, smiling.

"Don't worry about it Korra, I'm just stressed about the move to Republic City, more than I thought I'd be." He turned to look at her once more, though he wished he didn't. He could see it. She knew he was lying. Thankfully, she merely sighed and nudged closer to him, sitting on the ground beside him and reaching her arms around her knees, and her face contorted with obvious discomfort.

"Naruto…" Said boy dragged his head up to look at her, though she did not look at him, "We've been the best of friends for 10 whole years now. We grew up together, we trained together, we laughed together, we even cried together. So, why," Korra's lower lip quivered, though Naruto's eyes did not see it as they were preoccupied by the droplet of sorrow that crawled across the expanse of Korra's cheek as she turned to look at him, "Why can't you just tell me? I won't hate you! You know that! Whatever it is, I'll help you! I'll, I'll support you as you have me! Please Naruto," Korra leaned into his personal space, her hands grasping his and tightly holding onto them with a desperate touch, "Tell me."

Naruto stared at her, eyes fully open. The lack of sleep seemed to have vanished in this moment. The frozen over lakes melted into warm sapphire with an otherworldly clarity as they softened with affection, though his jaw tightened. Korra felt as if his jaw had punched her in the gut as it did so.

"I can't do that to you, Korra. I…" Naruto quickly flipped his hands and grasped Korra's hands tightly, "I want to. Really, I do. I want to _so _bad. But, I can't. That would be unfair of me. I'd, I'd be a bad friend to do that to you. You have all these responsibilities, all these pressures, expectations of you as the Avatar. Tenzin expects you to master Airbending, Republic City expects you to deal with its conflicts, and the world itself expects you to maintain peace. I can't push my problems onto you when you already have so much to deal with." Naruto turned to look at her, their eyes locking.

"Don't worry about me Korra. I'll be fine." His small smile meant worlds to Korra, and not in a positive light. She bit back the pain in her chest and smiled back at him lightly, before turning around and standing up, watching as Kuvira and Tenzin arrived. Suyin had been right. Korra sighed, feeling a heavier weight upon her chest as she did so. Perhaps the hardest thing she would face at this point in her life, would be getting Naruto to realize that her status as Avatar meant nothing to her if she could not help him. But, for now, she would focus on her Airbending, and talk to Naruto later that night. She'd force him to tell her if she had to.

Naruto sighed, rubbing his forehead as a headache pounded away at his cranium. Each pound sent jolts of pain throughout his system, long fingers ghosting down his spine and limbs. With each pound his vision blackened, leaving behind burn spots in his vision that wouldn't go away. His lack of sleep was killing him, he felt it. He felt the way his body struggled to move at this point. He felt the way his lungs stuttered and wheezed with each breath. He felt the way his eyelids seemed to weigh more than the world and the way more weight was added with each blink. But, he couldn't stop himself. He had to say up every night. He had to study. To see. To find the pattern. The pieces, as little as they were in that folder, they were trying to tell him something. Where that dead man was still breathing.

"So, Naruto, what's troubling you?" Kuvira's form appeared in his vision to his left, where Korra had been. Naruto admitted that he didn't even see her sit down, just that she was now suddenly there, staring up at the sky in a relaxed position. Regardless, his eyes narrowed in irritation as he continued to hold his palm to his forehead, trying to ease the pounding.

"Nothing is bothering me." Naruto felt a pang of regret at the unnecessary viciousness that had wormed its way into his voice. The girl was only trying to help, he shouldn't shun her away with harsh words. But, Naruto found that with the pounding in his head it was difficult to focus on much else other than trying to quell whatever demon was stomping in his skull. To her credit, Kuvira seemed unbothered by his tone, merely nodding her head and closing her eyes, seemingly in thought. Naruto found his eye lazily trailing the shape of her frame as he held his head.

"So, the circles around your eyes, the sluggishness of your body, and the headache you're trying to stop aren't a problem? I'm scared of what you think a problem is then." Naruto snarled at the way her response seemed so calculated, so planned. Naruto decided, from the time he had known Kuvira, that was something she seemed to exhibit in spades. Calculation. Everything she did. Every action taken. Every word spoken. Perhaps even every face made were all calculated with precision. They accomplished exactly what she wanted them to. Naruto hated that he wanted to see her fault, to see her stumble just once. Because he did not hate Kuvira, but rather, hated the way she seemed to control everything. Why could he not do the same?

Kuvira turned her gaze away from the blue skies to look into Naruto's own blue orbs, with an all knowing, arrogant smirk that was a mainstay of her personality. Naruto had conflicted feelings about the way it drew him in for a challenge. He had conflicted feelings about the way her green eyes had seen and experienced so many things that the shared blue hue of Korra and his own eyes had not. He had conflicted feelings on the way he couldn't really figure out who Kuvira was. He had conflicted feelings about the way she wove a wonderful experience into a stone cold job. He had conflicted feelings because everything since he had arrived at Republic City was _different. _And Kuvira seemed to be a shining symbol of that.

Kuvira, on the other hand, was conflicted, holding the gaze of Naruto's dull sapphire as they continued to stare at each other silently. This person in front of her interested her to no end. Seemingly every day, even as settled into routine as their little entourage was, she noticed something new about it. And it intrigued her. The way his hair seemed to be able to glow and shimmer in the sun as gold did, while his hair was also able to absorb the sun into itself, dulling in the process. The way his sapphire jeweled eyes could gleam with a clarity not of this world, and yet turn opaque and cold as ice. Kuvira was even interested in the way Naruto seemed to push himself down, and yet he did not accept help. That last note had been irritating her lately, and that in itself was perhaps the most interesting thing about Naruto. In no short time, Naruto had became a person worthy to worry about in Kuvira's eyes, and she did not even know why. So Kuvira decided to take the calculated route, preferring to leave whatever urges or desires or emotions that could bubble up on the side in favor of really figuring out who Naruto was.

"My lack of sleep's a problem, sure, but nothin's causing it. I'm probly' stressed from the move here's all." The way Naruto slurred together spoke volumes to the severity of his sleep problem, and the way he seemed to not notice how his body was swaying did as well. Kuvira continued to stare at him, before sighing and returning her gaze to the clouds.

"You know, I've watched someone do exactly what you are right now. An internal vendetta, a personal grief. You've got it written all over you. I'd know, because I did the same damn thing." Naruto's eyes shot up to look at the side of Kuvira's seemingly uninterested face, and his ears perked up at the way she seemed to just be engaging in casual conversation. It bothered him. This was too serious a claim to be so calm about.

"You? You dealt with a… a, ah spirits, what'd you call it?" Naruto held his head in pain, a sudden spike from his headache causing him to hiss in pain. Kuvira looked over for a brief moment, her brow flinching, before she hastily returned her gaze to the clouds and steeled over her chest as she prepared to spill her guts to some kid she'd barely known for a month.

"When I was 8 my parents abandoned me. To this day, I don't know why. But, luckily enough, I was picked up off of the streets by Suyin. She took me in and treated me like I was her own daughter from day one. I grew up under her care, under her guidance, her love. But, I was stupid back then. Like an idiot I began to feel that her love couldn't fill the void, the emptiness, left behind by my parents. And, I needed answers. So I sought them. Tore through reports from all over the Earth Kingdom, and even disappeared from Zaofu for 3 weeks. When I came back, disappointed and empty, I expected anger and resentment. Disappointment. But, instead," Naruto watched as her jaw seemed to quiver, though Kuvira's tone didn't change, nor did her gaze waver, "Suyin cried as she hugged me. She was relieved. Overjoyed. Because I came back. Because she loved me, like her own little girl. It was that moment, a stupid look on my face as Suyin cried while hugging me, that I felt whole. Like I didn't need to know why my parents left, because, by leaving, they had given me the best gift in the world."

Naruto looked down in deep contemplation as Kuvira worked to compose herself secretly, not wishing for Naruto to see her weakness. She wasn't fishing for pity, she was trying to help someone for spirits' sake. Naruto sighed, his eyes too dragging upwards onto the blue expanse above them.

"I…" Naruto stared at the clouds, his head pounding, his hands shaking slightly, "Well…" Naruto struggled to force the words out of his chest. He could feel them. "My…" As Naruto prepared himself to tell his story, to confide in another person the issues he was dealing with, a swift whiff of velvet hair and gold strands wrapped around his nose and clenched his jaw for him, silencing him. The boy closed his eyes, relief flooding his head as he continued to smell them. No. He could do this. He had to. For them. And he had to do it alone. Because no one else should have to do this for _his _parents.

"I, I'll deal with it on my own. Thank you, Kuvira, but," Kuvira turned her head to watch as Naruto seemed to grasp for something in his personal space, his hands finding nothing as they clenched, "I am the only one that should have to do this. I, I can't burden anyone else with this. Not you, not Tenzin, and certainly not Korra. I'll deal with this soon just, I just need time. When it's done," Kuvira turned away once more, narrowing her eyes at the clouds as Naruto's tone of voice turned frantic, desperate, despairing, "Everything will be fine, when it's done. When it's done."

* * *

Republic City sparkled and shined at night. It truly became a beacon when the light from the sun was lost, and all decency vanished with it. Sadness and Happiness intermingled and became one, euphoric and depressing aura around the city's streets. Returning home and finding home blurred into a alcohol fueled haze that disappeared when the moon did. And, blood and rain mixed together in the alley ways.

Naruto stared at the city as he gripped the railing of the ferry, gritting his teeth with a tense frame as the ferry grew closer and closer. No longer did he adorn his frame with his southern clothing, even forgoing his treasured wolf furs for a stuck up aristocratic suit that he had bought 2 weeks prior. His golden mane had been slicked back and held together with an egregious amount of gel that shimmered as the glass of any building within Republic City and reeked of artificiality as did the kindness of street rats. Naruto refrained from growling as he stepped off of the ferry.

He had done well to mask it whilst residing in the Air Temple, but Naruto's blood burned whenever he looked at the skyline of this city. Striding forward, away from the ferry, Naruto continued to stride forward through the city. Sleazy females nodded towards him at every corner, and brutish thugs appraised their score as he passed. But, he was left alone. As was everyone in Republic City. You either involved yourself, or not at all. Especially tonight.

Naruto's stride did not break. Not for homeless men praying to all spirits above that there was a pitiful fool walking around at night. Not for the women that seemed to only desire the wealth they thought he had. Not even for the sounds of struggle and crime that assaulted his ears whenever he passed particularly filthy alleyways and streets.

The suit was uncomfortable. Restrictive. But he dealt with it. All he needed it to do was get him _in. _That was all he needed. It did not matter if after tonight it was useless. It did not matter that his head permanently ached from the abysmal amounts of sleep he managed to get after his nighty excursions and study. He would be able to move past all of that and finally take a step towards being done with _everything. _All that he had to do was get in.

With a few more decisive turns and twists about the winding maze of metal and stone that made up Republic City, Naruto arrived. A crowd had gathered, all surging forward with one purpose. It was small, and without a keen, or even just an attentive, eye one would miss the obvious gathering. Mingled in with the common rabble and thugs were well dressed, suited individuals that periodically disappeared into the same building. Even with his sleepless haze, Naruto saw it clearly.

So, Naruto mingled. Stood around. Loitered. Even took an offer for a puff of some cigarette-like thing, all for appearance. To get in he had to look the part. Eventually, two men approached, and merely nodded towards the door, without looking at him. Naruto did not react, waiting until they had left him, before entering the building. He had studied this. He'd seen it a few dozen times. Now, he would see what the inside looked like.

The blonde reached a rusted over door, pieces of it feeling as if they would fall off at any moment, and casually opened it, stepping inside.

Immediately, the blonde was assaulted with a literal barrage of intoxicating smells. As his eyes opened and adjusted to the eternal smoky haze they were greeted with piles of drugged out people that seemed as if they could not register that they existed. And, his ears were met with nothing. There was no music playing, no loud yelling or screaming. Not even moans met his ears. It was quiet. This was a private place. Not for the loud. This was a serious place. Not for the playful.

He picked them out immediately. Everything was about appearance. The drugged out and braindead vermin at his feet and stacked against the wall, breathing quietly. The smoky haze that had dulled his senses since he arrived. Even the dull purple and blue lighting. All of it for appearance. Should the police, for some reason, decide that their occasional allies were in need of some court trials, there would be no evidence of what _really _happens here.

Regardless, despite the haze that overcame his senses, despite the restless pounding in his head, Naruto's eyes gained clarity for the first time since he opened the folder. So, he strode forward. His gait was calm, controlled. And, calculated. Each step had a purpose. If it didn't, he'd be ousted immediately, called out, taken. He'd be one of these drugged out piles of flesh, barely holding onto the ability to function let alone think. Eventually, he sat down. Alone, naturally. In a booth. If he had heard right, and by spirits did he hope he heard correctly, a booth was the place for what he wanted.

Within 10 minutes Naruto found himself nodding his head to some sort of rhythm that his body felt it must do, and his foot began to tap. He heard it. There _was _music playing. But, it was very faint. Very very faint. You could only hear it if you made it to the back of the room. And you could only recognize that it was music if you were still conscious by the time you made it there. Almost as if called by his tapping, another gentlemen sat himself beside Naruto, tapping and nodding along as well.

Naruto did not waver. Did not even react. Instead, as if this was a practiced routine, Naruto reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved a photo. With a vast, _vast _exertion of will power, Naruto did not react to the smile that flashed all over the room as he handed over the mugshot. The man beside him lazily put forth his hand and grasped the mugshot, giving it a once over, before _looking _at Naruto. Dread filled Naruto's system. They weren't supposed to _look _at you. Let alone _notice _you, if you did everything right.

"First time. I can tell. Booths are for water kid." Naruto looked over at the man with a very brief glance, and the man breathlessly chuckled. "Water is opium kid." Naruto did not react, nodding away at the now very interesting music. Again, the man chuckled. Everything about him, the sound of his chuckle, the brief glance of his eyes that Naruto granted himself, seemed hollow. Dead. Naruto supposed, doing the things he did, he would feel dead.

"Well, you've done a better job than the bags we've got at our feet," at this, the man casually placed his foot on top of one of the drugged people and tapped his foot to the music, "Tell you what. You get a pass. Make it your only one, or don't plan on coming back. And, I'm sure this doesn't need to be said, but," Suddenly, Naruto felt the tip of a blade press itself lightly into a spot between his spine, prompting the boy to slowly turn to stare at the grinning man, "We don't care what you do with what we give you. But if you let _anything _about this place leave here, well, you get my point." Again, the man chuckled, and Naruto restrained a sigh of relief as the knife that was somehow on his spine disappear.

Wordlessly, the man held up the photo, and within a mere moment another figure strode forward and collected it, disappearing into a door that Naruto had not seen before.

"You did good kid. Managed to get in. That's more than most. Even managed to get to a booth. Now _that, _that's the real accomplishment here. Even managed to stay calm. Good, good. You know," the man paused slightly, reaching behind his head and retrieving a sealed package that looked like it belonged in the mail and handing it to Naruto without looking at him, "You could fit in here, if whatever you've got going doesn't work out. Anyway, this is where we don't see each other anymore." With that, the man got up and strode away. Naruto would've gulped, but he was worried he'd be paralyzed if he did, and instead calmly got up and left with his package, a smile gracing his face as he closed that rusted iron door.

Naruto was sure to quickly calm and compose himself, placing the package within his jacket pocket and finding a great pleasure in the weighty feeling it added to the jacket, striding forward with a pleased gait as he backtracked through Republic City. On a whim, Naruto decided to go see the probending arena, even if he didn't go inside. He felt within himself that he had to go. He had to see that terrible place once more. Before he settled things. He had to.

Eventually, Naruto arrived to see the golden-lit theater turned arena and stared across the bridge that connected it to the city. The water shimmered beautifully all around it, and Naruto breathed in slightly, eyes closing as he revelled in the smell of the sea. It was calming. Sighing when he finished, a content smile breaking across his tired and tense face, Naruto turned around, only for his content face to drop in shock and dread.

In the crowd of people stood Korra and Kuvira, looking around the area with shrewd eyes. Why were they here? It boggled Naruto's mind. They shouldn't be here. Not here. Not here. In his brief moment where his composure failed him, Korra's eyes caught sight of his frame and widened, grabbing onto Kuvira and sprinting towards the blonde that watched with defeated and frantic eyes.

"Naruto! Narrruuuuto!" Korra's shouts rang about his head, the pounding returning with a fury. He'd been stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did he go to the arena, for what, some stupid sense of finality? Of purpose? He didn't need reassurance, didn't need closure. He would find that. So why had he returned? He was a fool. And now everything was over. The sleepless nights, the work he did. _Getting in. _All of it, worthless.

Korra's eyes popped into his field of view, staring up at him as she bent down to look at his face with a curious look. Naruto saw Kuvira's feet as well, and his chest emptied. He felt hollow.

"So, Naruto, what're you doing here?" Korra's face was angry, demanding. She wasn't going to get an answer she didn't feel was real. She wanted the truth. But, Naruto couldn't give her or anyone else the truth of what he had been doing. Naruto looked up, staring at both of their waiting and demanding looks, before he breathed in.

"Well, I was trying to see if I could get us some tickets to a pro-bending game." Naruto breathed in, his chest tensing. He really hoped Korra would take the bait. He knew it was a low blow to go for the pro-bending excuse, and he hated himself for taking advantage of Korra like that, but he _couldn't. _No one could know. This, he had to do this on his own. He watched, hoping that what he said was believable.

Korra and Kuvira seemed to contemplate what he said internally, both of them mimicking each other's thinking face without even realizing it, and were it not for Naruto's beating heart he may have laughed. Eventually, they both nodded and looked at him. Naruto could not make anything out from their faces.

"Well, you're clearly lying," Korra began, looking at him with angry, narrowed eyes, until Kuvira spoke up with an arrogantly happy smirk on her face, "But you can get off of the hook if you actually take us to tonight's match." Naruto stared at the two of them, and began to thank whatever kind spirit had taken pity on him.

"Deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto watched with relieved eyes as Korra began to jump up and down in an excited manner, and averted his gaze to watch the way Kuvira's smirk managed to reach the other side of her mouth as well. The weight on his chest disappeared, dumped itself into the ocean to be forgotten. Feeling the remnants of his earlier anxiety, Naruto shakily patted down creases within his suit, his fingers finding relief in the smooth fabric, and they lingered for a brief moment on the bulge on his left breast.

Sighing, Naruto released himself to his fate and began to walk towards the arena across the golden shining bridge, his slicked back hair blending in with the silhouette of the building in the eyes of the two girls that followed closely behind him, allowing the boy to lead. Naruto placed his hands in the pockets of his pants and continued on his path, garnering multiple looks from the strangers that walked alongside the group due to his appearance. Korra admitted to herself that Naruto seemed to be from a completely different social status with his looks. He looked, regal. Powerful. The sheer _clarity _she saw within his icy eyes stirred something within her. Kuvira wasn't faring much better, finding her eyes trailing his jawline.

Sighing in annoyance as his eternal headache returned dully, Naruto ran his hand across his hair, looking down slightly. He told himself that he wasn't going to stop sleeping until his head became impervious to headaches. Shaking his head slightly, Naruto walked up to the entrance and stared into the eyes of the teller.

"Alright, uh, I'm gonna need three tickets to the match. When's it start anyway?" Naruto questioned, and the lady behind the glass looked at him with an odd look before smiling at him and his group as Korra and Kuvira stepped up behind him.

"Must be your guys' first time here huh? We've got 5 matches tonight, because its tournament season. During tournaments, matches of the same bracket are all played out in one night, and then the next day is the opposite bracket, and so on and so forth. So, three tickets you said? That'll be 3 gold pieces." Naruto's face fell at the mention of money. He was stupid to forget that he'd need money to get into this place. Before he could turn around and apologize to the girls, the gentlemen from _that _place stepped forward and handed the teller 5 gold pieces, smiling at Naruto with a certain crinkle to his eyelid that Naruto found… dangerous. Though, the woman attached to the man's arm relieved him a little bit, for at least she seemed normal enough and unlike those drugged out bodies from before.

"I'll take 5 tickets, 2 for me and her, and 3 for this boy's group." At his words, Naruto's mouth nearly dropped open, but Naruto forced it to stay closed as the two men stared at each other, icy blue meeting hollow hazel, before the man smirked and handed Naruto his three tickets. Korra thanked him, as did Kuvira, but the two of them stopped speaking afterwards, staring at Naruto and the man beside him as a sort of tension formed, the now 5-person group walking forward slightly, stopping outside of the doors.

"So, _this _is what you've got goin' on." The man nodded his head, looking at Korra and Kuvira lazily, before dragging his eyes back to Naruto. Slicked back red hair gleamed in the golden light of the arena as the man did so. "Well, if this doesn't uh," the man gestured with his hand in a sort of arc, "follow through, you've got it in you to make it. If you're interested in some serious money, the offer's still on the table. Anyways, I'll let you three go tonight." the man bowed slightly towards Korra and Kuvira, "Pleasure meeting you, Kuvira of Zaofu, and, it's always wonderful to see the Avatar. Enjoy your night ladies." With that, the man did a lazy salute from his temple and turned around, striding into the building with the woman wordlessly following.

Naruto exhaled heavily, wiping sweat from his top brow and staring at the door the man had left through before a hand grasped his shoulder and pulled him back to reality, finding glaring blue eyes in his face.

"Who was that Naruto? How'd he know you?" Korra demanded lowly, pulling him closer so he could not escape her glare. As always, Kuvira's presence was felt as he saw her frame behind Korra. But, while he may have wanted them to stay out of his business for personal reasons, if they _ever _got involved with that sort of man… Naruto didn't want to think of what would happen. Korra was an avid breaker of rules, so it wouldn't even take a minute for her to… And, well, while Kuvira was an avid _enforcer _of rules, yet she tended to sway towards leniency from them, so…

Naruto quickly grabbed Kuvira and pulled her into their little huddle, Naruto's eyes turning intense and serious as he stared into the eyes of both girls with a stern lock of his jaw.

"Do _**not **_speak about, look for, or ever even _think _about that man ever again. Do you understand me?" Naruto's voice was serious, demanding. Korra's brows shot up, and Kuvira's eyes narrowed. Korra seemed to fume, but Kuvira beat her to the punch.

"Why." Her question was simple, controlled, but there was so much weight, so much nuance to everything about the way she said it. It perfectly exemplified all that encompassed her personality, Naruto decided. Korra calmed herself down slightly, relieved that Kuvira was seemingly on her side, and was able to avoid a total yelling contest. Thank spirits.

"There is no why. If I told you why… I can't even tell you what would happen. Just, look, I'm asking you both to trust me. Please." Naruto pleaded, his voice breaking away from it's demanding tone as the boy nearly broke down from the stress he had been putting himself through. Kuvira nodded, knowing full well what that sort of tension meant. Korra, on the other hand, was still bothered and irritated.

"How'd he know who Kuvira is? I get me, I can guess you've met him while you been sneaking away," At this Korra short him a particularly venomous glare, "But Kuvira? Kuvira's been on the island protecting me the whole time, unless, well, are you uhh… famous by any chance?" At this, Kuvira deadpanned and shook her head as a negative, and Korra expected that answer, nodding her head and returning her glare to Naruto, who closed his eyes and thought about how to word his response.

"No, no no no. He shouldn't even know that you're the… He shouldn't know about you Korra. You haven't been formally introduced to the world, no one should know." Kuvira's point was made with a narrowing of her eyes towards Naruto. Naruto's frame felt as if it had recieved a blow to it, his frame deflating and his face crinkling in on itself in a cringe.

"He's… Agh how can I say this… he… no… gah just, look, it doesn't matter. Just. Please. You two need to forget you ever saw him." Naruto's serious look shut up Korra, and the way his eyes iced over and gave off all the heat and warmth in them scared her. Kuvira watched his reaction, the pair's eyes meeting briefly. And, Kuvira saw _fear._ The two girls echoed the same thoughts. Exactly _who _was that man? And, more importantly, _what was Naruto doing._

"Listen you two, I know these last few weeks have been weird, but you have to trust me. This'll all be over soon. I promise. Just, give me a week. A week's all I need. A, a week." Naruto offered, his eyes stared off into space, his hand ghosting up towards the breast of his suit jacket. Korra and Kuvira stared at him, but he didn't seem to actually see them anymore, focused on something otherworldly. The water gleamed a menacing smile.

"Well, let's try not to miss the game." Kuvira, ever the peacekeeper, straightened her back and strode forward, gesturing toward the door with a calm smirk on her face, as if whatever just occured hadn't happened at all, and Naruto nodded to her as he and Korra passed with a weighty gratitude, though Kuvira responded by grasping his shoulder lightly and leaning into his personal space as the trio walked, Korra leading. "I may like you, Naruto, but if whatever you're doing endangers Korra, well… I've got a job to do." Kuvira explained, and a slight rattling of the metal floral chest piece she wore added that extra bit of intimidation as the arena came into view. Naruto felt sweat run down the side of his face as his chest seized upon itself.

"I would _never _try to do anything to hurt Korra, never." Naruto refuted, staring into Kuvira's eyes as the pair briefly stopped while Korra scoped out for seats, unaware of the tension behind her as it permeated in the air. Kuvira narrowed her eyes at Naruto who's eyes gleamed genuinely back, though finally she relented and sighed, softly smiling at him and releasing his shoulder while shaking her head, allowing a strand of raven hair to fall from her usual tresses in front of her eyes as she looked down, appearing relieved.

"Good. I didn't, I didn't want it to have to come to that. Just, look," Kuvira looked up again, concern in her fern eyes shining into Naruto's, prompting the boy's chest to seize once more, "Please. It's hurting Korra to know that you won't ask her for help, and, well… I can help too, you know. You don't have to do this alone. Whatever it is, we'll help you. Even if it's... bad. We'll find a way to-" "Stop. Please. I… I have to do this alone. " Naruto interrupted her, shaking his head and reaching for the bulge in his suit jacket, patting it with a pained expression, a smile flashing across all of the faces within the arena for a brief moment. "Besides, it'd be wrong of me to ask either of you for help. You've both got better things to do." Though she wanted to refute, Kuvira nodded and she looked down with a sad expression as she turned around to sit down with Korra.

Naruto proceeded after her, though the man from before stepped forward and allowed the lady with him to sit beside Kuvira and Korra as he grasped Naruto around the shoulder, smiling at the trio as they looked at him.

"Hey, me an' the lady'll be sitting there. And the boy here? Heheh. He'll be competing. Come on, boy." The man left no room for argument, even as Korra shouted in jealousy that Naruto got to compete while she was only allowed to watch, stopping when the pair walked away, prompting her to stare at the woman next to her, who didn't react in any fashion.

* * *

Naruto felt uncomfortable as the man lead the duo down into the gym, finding the 5 competing teams practicing or just conversing within the gym, and the man began to scan the room. Most people did not notice him, but he smiled when a boy with black hair suddenly stood up straighter and stared at him.

The duo strode forward, the man taking presence in the room as he did so, and by the time they approached the trio that were adorned in red garments denoting their team, _Fire Ferrets, _the entire room had turned and were watching the interaction with a keen interest, tension for what felt like the 100th time that night flared within the room.

"Evenin' boys! Lucky you, you've got a new teammate for tonight's matches! He won't be needing payment, and, well, he won't be playing after tonight. But I _really _wanna see what he can do out there in the arena! So, who's the resident waterbender?" The man's jovial attitude made it seem as if he completely ignored the tension in the room, and, to be fair, he probably did. Naruto gulped, as did another, slightly-chunkier ebony haired guy adorning the same red garment of the team.

A late teenager with long, flowing locks of black hair strode forward with an irritated face, and Naruto immediately felt bad for him as he stepped into the blood-haired man's personal space, sticking his finger in his face with an angry expression. The boy's teammates tried to hold him back with desperate pleas of "Stop!" and "Hasook wait!" but the boy shoved past them.

"Oi! What do you mean!? We've got a waterbender, we don't need a new one! I can bend just fi-awahhh!" The boy, 'Hasook' if Naruto heard correctly, suddenly screamed mid sentence as the man seized his hand and loudly broke it, staring at him with an amused expression and growling as he pulled on the broken hand, forcing the boy in front of him, eliciting a yelp of pain and many mutterings, mumbles, and gasps to break out within the gym.

"You can bend huh? Really? Heh, I'm sure you can. But, can you tell me one thing? Just one, that's all I need. D'you know what an Uzumaki is? Cause', well, they can bend pretty _damn _well. And uh, I don't think you can bend that good, or even as good as, well, even a toddler from that family could. And, to be fair, that doesn't quite matter, because, you see," The man snapped the arm back, breaking the teen's forearm, and then grabbed him by the back of the neck and placed him on his knees in front of him and turned the boy away from him. The man's face shadowed as a menacing grin took its residency on his face. "I don't think you'll be bending, let alone walking, for well, a _long _time from now." With that, a sickening snap echoed throughout the room as the man launched his foot into the boy's spine, snapping it in two and watching with a satisfied, childishly joyous smile as the boy crumpled forward, broken. He'd never bend again.

Sighing in a satisfied tone as if he'd just finished cleaning, the man wiped his hands on his suit to clear them of whatever spittle had collected on them before turning to face the remaining two Fire Ferrets. He gestured towards Naruto with his head, an unamused and annoyed look growing on his face, before turning around and striding out of the gym silently, all of the teams avoiding the man even as Hasook continued to scream in pain on the floor. Naruto stared at the boy's paralyzed form, and felt his heart drop into his stomach and leave through his toes. As medics swarmed the room, shocked and horrified expressions exploding onto their faces, the thinner boy from before snapped a helmet into Naruto's hands and glared at him.

"Wait, we're not seriously gonna play are we!? Th-Tha- Won't the games get cancelled now!?" The other boy shouted out at the one that had just given Naruto the helmet, and the other boy snarled at Naruto in response, openly glaring at him.

"No. _That _man will see to it. We're playing Bolin." He growled out, turning around and walking away from Naruto as the now identified Bolin just stared at Naruto with his mouth agape and scared.

"Hey, listen I didn't wan-" Naruto gestured outward, and as he did so Bolin ran away in fear towards the other boy, ignoring whatever Naruto was trying so say, who merely looked back as the paralyzed boy was carried out of the gym with ocean-fulls of tears escaping his eyes. And, for the first time, Naruto seriously considered if the path he was on was the right one.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen of Repuuuuublic City!" An announcer echoed faintly through the walls of the probending arena, and Naruto shook within his Fire Ferret garments as he sat on a bench directly separate from the two that he had, in a brief introduction, learned were brothers. Mako and Bolin.

"Look, I'm sorry about yo-" "Shut up." Mako interrupted him, glaring at him. Naruto sighed, looking down.

"I didn't even want to be here tonight. I wasn't supposed to be." Naruto muttered, and Mako exhaled loudly through his nose in exasperation.

"Didn't seem like it." Naruto looked up, narrowing his eyes as the tension and stress from the night came crashing down onto his psyche like a waterfall.

"You know what you can shove it, alright? I didn't want to see that happen, I didn't want that to happen. I had no control of that. I didn't even know what the guy looked like until earlier tonight." Naruto growled, glaring at Mako who glared back.

"Sure seemed like he knew a lot about you."

"He knows a lot about everyone in Republic City!" Mako 'hmpfed' and looked away, staring at the other teams and meeting their glances, though they all looked away as he did, causing him to sigh.

"Well, great. Now we're gonna be targeted by other teams, or worse, ousted from the arena and banned from pro-bending after tonight. I doubt _he'll _do anything about that." Mako grunted out, and genuine worry seemed to gleam across his and Bolin's eyes. Naruto watched, feeling helpless, before sighing.

"Well, there's not much I can do but, I'll do whatever I can. I'll do my best out there. And, if you guys aren't banned I'll still play for you, well, if Korra doesn't want my spot, which I'm sure she will." Naruto offered, prompting Bolin to look up.

"Who's Korra?"

"Oh, well, she's-" "Fire Ferrets! You're up!"

Rapidly, the trio got up and placed their helmets on as they walked towards the arena, lead by the showman. Mako shifted his shoulders in anticipation, Bolin shook his head and hit it repeatedly, and Naruto tried to fight off whatever anxiety tried to force itself into the forefront of his mind. Because, that man was watching. Snapping filled his ears as his mind's eye watched a spine break in two, before everything drowned out in the crying of excited fans and bright lights.

As his vision cleared, Naruto looked around as many fans screamed and shouted, waving their arms towards the arena. For a moment, it was overwhelming, until Naruto caught sight of Korra and Kuvira, as well as the man who was sitting beside him, grinning at Naruto, his eyes glinting. Gulping, Naruto looked towards the center of the stage as he took the planned position behind Bolin and Mako.

"Match 1: Fire Ferrets vs. Ember Island Eel Hounds! Start!" The announcer's voice boomed suddenly, surprising Naruto as he found a plume of flame headed his way. Reacting quickly, Naruto whipped a streak of water out of the grates beneath his feet, turning it into steam, revealing three discs made of earth flying towards him. Naruto managed to block the first two with quick slashes from water, but the third pushed past his defense and slammed into his chest, forcing him back into the second zone.

"Pathetic." The man sitting beside Kuvira growled out lowly, watching intensely at the match as the woman to his right looked around, lost. Kuvira and Korra looked at him as she said so, and Korra openly glared while Kuvira narrowed her eyes in calculated patience.

"Wha-, It's his first game! He can't be good right off the bat!" Korra yelled out angrily, quickly standing up and cheering for Naruto afterwards. After she sat down, she found the man grinning at her. "What?" She demanded, glaring at him, prompting a hefty chuckle.

"Oh nothing, it's just wonderful to watch the way you three support each other. But, then again, you two don't _really _support Naruto, now do you? I don't believe I saw either of you earlier today when I was talking with him." The man mentioned, staring at the arena below as the match continued on, Bolin having been forced to the second zone alongside Naruto while Mako remained their only piece standing in the first preventing the opposite team's advancement, while the Ember Island players only had 1 teammate pushed to the second zone.

"You don't know anything about us, so just, shut up." Korra growled out, glaring at the man with an impassioned shake of her finger. The man chuckled once more, his body hefting up and down with each forceful exhale.

"Ah man, sorry sorry its just, ahhhh good joke. I know practically everything about all three of you, more than each of you knows about each other. But, well, that's not important. What's important is the boy's piss poor performance down in the ring."

"It's his first game! What, do you expect a novice to beat pros in his first game!? He barely even knows the rules!" Korra exclaimed in an exasperated manner, though the man only opened his eyes wider and grinned, excitedly.

"Yes! Yes I do! The boy's an Uzumaki! He should be _slaughtering _that team down there! It shouldn't even be a competition! This is beneath him! Beneath an Uzumaki! It's pathetic." The man excited shouted at Korra, smiling in excitement as he watched the arena, hoping for that spark of Uzumaki within the boy. Both Kuvira and Korra were confused, though Kuvira was faster on the draw to ask.

"I've heard that name before. _Uzumaki. _Who were they?" Kuvira questioned calmly, staring at the man from the corner of her eye, trying to probe out exactly who he was and, more importantly, how dangerous he was. The man grinned.

"See. This is what I mean. You two don't even know what an Uzuamki is, and you expect me to believe you know anything about the boy!? Hmpf. Well, I guess I'll humor you, for his sake, since he probably doesn't know either. You've seen the pendant he wears, yes? The swirl? That's the Uzumaki family code of arms, their symbol. Agh, sorry, to call it swirl doesn't do them justice, its a whirlpool. The boy's family are known for their waterbending prowess. But, well, he's the last one. No where else in the world are you gonna find that swirling Uzumaki ambition, that determination. That _prowess._ And yet, that isn't stopping him from being a complete and utter disappointment! Boy!" The man stood up, energized and angry, and grasped onto the railing in front of the row of seats the foursome were seated at, glaring down at the arena.

Naruto heard a booming voice amongst the spirals of fire, discs of stone, and mists of water that battered his form. Bolin had been eliminated, and Naruto found himself in the final zone while Mako was in the second zone. Looking up for a brief moment, Naruto saw the man glaring down at him with a snarl.

"You're a disappointment! A fraud! Pathetic! You wear that pendant and yet you do nothing like an Uzumaki would! Live up to the name or I'll come down and tear that pendant off your throat!" The man demanded, his voice startling those all around him at just how _loud _it managed to get. Naruto's eyes opened wide, and suddenly all around him Naruto saw blood and smiles.

Breathing in rapidly, Naruto turned back to watch as a plume of flame and spinning discs rapidly approached him. Glaring with a determined glint, Naruto snapped his right arm to his left, heaving gallons of water from beneath the grates in front of him, effectively blocking the duo's attack, and then stepping forward with a quick two step and heaving his two arms forward. Instantly, a river flowed from beneath the grates towards the opposing team. Unable to defend quickly enough, two of the opponents were pushed out of their zone, and one of them was pushed all the way back to their second zone, while the other remained in their first, and the third remained within the Fire Ferret's second zone, having grounded himself before Naruto's wave hit them.

But Naruto wasn't done, and he grit his teeth as he stared at the opponent still within the zone in front of him and Mako, who had been forced back into their third zone as well.

"Mako, steam." Naruto grunted out, heaving up a quick burst of water that met a blast of flame from Mako's extended arm, creating a veil of steam that Naruto used to shoot out three accurate, fast bolts of water from around his arms in an action that imitated Kuvira's style from the many spars between her and Korra that Naruto was given a front row seat to watch. The third teammate of the opposing team felt his feet leave him from as two balls of water slammed into his feet, and felt his body take flight as a third connected with his chest and forced him back into his team's first zone, allowing Naruto and Mako to advance all the way back to their first zone, once more evening the odds if not giving Naruto and Mako the advantage.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching as the other team began to furiously hail elemental attacks towards his person. Naruto weaved and ducked between the earth discs and used quick whips of water to cancel out the firebender's attacks, planting his feet wide as a sweeping wave of water flew towards his person.

Naruto bent the water as it hurled towards him through the air and turned his body rapidly in a 180 turn clockwise, redirecting it towards the surprised Ember Island Eel Hound, forcing him off of the platform and eliminating their waterbender, prompting a shout from Korra up in the stands. Though, Naruto did not hear her, and instead his eyes focused upon the remaining two Eel Hounds. He watched and waited, choosing a reactionary route as Mako launched blasts of fire towards the opponents, and his eyes caught the quick glance the pair gave each other, the bender in the first zone turning around to smile at Naruto, prompting his heart to seize and his form to give way as two earth discs impacted with his chest and a wave of flame forced him to fly further backwards, dropping him off of the arena in one synchronized attack that the Eel's had clearly been keeping as a trump card.

From the stands, the man growled in annoyance and anger, glaring at the arena while Korra sat down and crossed her arms, upset but still happy at Naruto's performance for that round, turning triumphantly to the man.

"There, he eliminated one of their players and made a major push for territory, that good enough, hmm?" Korra asked in a singsong voice, though glared once more as the man shook his head.

"No. You aren't getting it and neither is he. He's a spirit damned Uzumaki! He should be dominating out there!" The man's angry expulsion of irritation prompting many looks, but at this point in the match, all of the seats around the group had been vacated from annoyance at not only the man's loud style of watching, but also Korra's.

"You know, you can shut your mouth! You don't even seem to be a bender and yet you're here judging him like you know it all!" Korra yelled at him, pointing her finger accusingly across Kuvira's seated frame, who continued to watch with focused eyes as the two engaged. The man smirked, looking at her.

"You know, you might be the Avatar and all, and you're right, I can't bend. But, I _know _I could take you out in seconds, bending or not, Avatar or not. I'd have you broken and bleeding at my feet before you could even get those eyes of yours to glow." The man said with complete seriousness, all levels of energy and excitement gone, even the slight undertone of childish joy was gone. Kuvira narrowed her eyes, preparing to involve herself, though Korra was quick to act and stood up.

"I could take you! It'd be easy, no, it'd be unfair is how easy it would be!" Korra claimed, crossing her arms and glaring at the man with an irritation that seemed to be peaking. He stared at her, before slumping further in his seat.

"If even one spark of fire, or one pebble of earth, a misting of water, a… well I can't exactly expect you to bend air now can I?" At this, Korra's unyeilding face of anger broke apart and her mouth fell slightly, "But, the point still stands. If you even _step _towards me, the whole of Republic City will fall upon you like the ocean to snuff out whatever flame you conjure, turn whatever earth you bend to mud, and dominate whatever water you try to bend. Sit. Down." The man's voice did not waver, did not even attempt intimidation. There wasn't even a tone of confidence. What was scary, to both Kuvira and Korra, was the way the man made _both _of them believe his statements. Somehow, they knew what he said was true. He was untouchable and he knew it. Korra reluctantly sat down and watched as Naruto's match prepared itself for the second round, the first having gone to the Ember Island Eel Hounds.

Below in the arena, Naruto's mind began to work. Gears turned, and had Korra seen him, she surely would've made some sort of joke about steam coming from his head. But, he couldn't find it within himself to care at the moment. For a brief moment there, the briefest, Naruto had felt his heart stop. It seized upon itself like it had so many times prior. But, it was during that moment, when his heart freezes and the edges of his vision blacken, that Naruto had felt a tug. No, no it wasn't a tug. It was a touch. Fleeting, for sure. Teasing. Like a playful kiss upon his brow. As he flew through the air, the mist around him seemed to coddle him, hold him in its embrace. Naruto had found that, within that moment, nothing mattered. He had gained a clarity he had not experienced since that dreadful smile had carved itself into every facet of his life. And, Naruto began to crave it. That brief moment had addicted Naruto to that embrace.

Even now, Naruto no longer felt that anticipation. That fear. That _cowardice _that had invaded his system and shook him from his very core. And, because now he could stop moving and focus, he felt her. She was there. Within the air. But, how could he get her to come to him? To embrace him once more? He wanted that kiss upon his brow, that teasing smile he felt in the back of his mind. He wanted it as much as he wanted to embrace his parents one last time. But, this desire wasn't different. It wasn't clouded in a veil of sadness and grief. Hatred. No. Instead, it was clouded in a mist of… freedom. Of joy. Euphoria. Of calm.

As the round started, Naruto went through the motions of water bending. Thin streams, calm and controlled, snaked through the grates in a wavy, dance like motion, blocking every strike from his opponents and countering with quick, fast strikes that left marks upon the opponent's garments.

In the stands, the man's eyes opened completely. Whatever drugged haze had permeated within them throughout the night had vanished in an instant, and he stood up with a frantic energy. He could see it. Gripping the bars tightly, anticipation began to build within his frame. Korra and Kuvira stared at him, standing up to follow his eyeline and watch Naruto, who seemed to be acting on complete instinct, his eyes closed and his face calm as he wove his body through remarkable feats of momentum. His feet rarely touched the ground, and when they did, his entire body weaved with his momentum, carrying him to his next footing.

Down in the arena, Naruto smiled. As he weaved through motions that were flowing throughout his body as fluently as he moved moved through them, that teasing mistress from before began to touch his frame again. Fingers made of mist touched along his arms and legs, trailed themselves from his thighs up to his jugular, scratched at his back, trailed each one of his ribs, and tauntingly cascaded their oh so _wonderful _touch down his spine, emphasizing each segment with a neat little swirl. And, finally, an embrace. A kiss upon his brow. There she was.

Naruto opened his eyes, and the clarity in them that Korra had seen before returned tenfold. Planting his feet powerfully, Naruto's momentum stopped dead in its tracks, and up in the stands the man began to try and bend the railing in his giddiness. The mist that had begun to permeate around Naruto suddenly stopped dead in its tracks as well, lazily floating around his form, undisturbed even as chunks of busted earth flew past them.

"Naruto! What're you doing!? Come on!" Bolin shouted out as he launched three more earth plates towards the opposing team, looking from his brother and back to Naruto periodically. Mako starred as well at his unmoving teammate, and shook his head with a smoky exhale from his nostrils, clearly angered. Naruto stared forward, smiling serenely as the enemy team shifted their strategy and began to launch attacks exclusively at Naruto.

Wordlessly, Naruto brought his right arm down in a diagonal slash in front of him, a movement that shocked waterbenders throughout the crowd and on the teams watching, for it directly _opposed _the source of water that Naruto was to draw on. Their jaws dropped as a thin whip of water manifested itself from the air and cut cleanly through the four discs of earth, splitting them in half as they flew harmlessly past Naruto's unwavering frame. Naruto began to slowly weave his body back and forth, rocking it like a wave, his shoulders imitating the tides of the moon, push and pull.

The arena, the opposite team, the referee, and Naruto's team watched as he snapped his arm forward, knuckles outward towards the opposing team. A wave appeared behind him. Not from the water in the grates. Not from the water below the arena. But rather, from the air. It had given him this wondrous gift, like an engagement ring, as it wrapped itself thinly around his ring finger as it extended towards the opposite team, sending forth an army of thin whips of water like… Eels. The Ember Island Eels were overwhelmed as the water roared upon them. A few whips of water they could dodge, but a wave made of them was impossible. They were forced back, and their waterbender made desperate attempts to redirect the water to no avail. The air was Naruto's mistress, her waters his to bend. And no one else would take that from him. _No one would take anything from him again. _

In the stands, while Korra and Kuvira loudly cheered, the man grinned as a dangerous gleam glinted within his eye. The boy had done it. He had met the mistress in the wind, and she had given him her water. Her vapor. But, he had given her nothing in return, yet. Soon, he would. It did not take the boy's mother long to give the mistress something of her's in return. It would not take the boy long. Not long at all.


	7. Chapter 7

_She could see him. A staggering form amidst a cold, colorless expanse of dread and sadness. The moon, in its ever exclusive love, ignored him. Shunned those it did not want. And the world followed suit. She watched as he stared at it, standing ever still, waiting and watching the waves beneath the mighty being with hope swelling within his chest. He raised his hand, palm outward and flat with a sort of reverence and desperate hope, but received nothing. There was no change, except for the man's frame slumping forward onto his knees as his hope died in his arms, fluttering down past his frame into the swaying waters beneath him._

_She strode forward, an ethereal thing she was, and stared into the man's eyes. He couldn't see her, but she could see the tears cascading down his face. They were… Beautiful in the way they sparkled and gleamed in the moon's light. And, in her benevolence and love of all things beautiful, she extended a sole finger, her index, upon his cheek. The tear dripped onto her finger, and she raised it even as the man felt her presence begin to swell within his chest, and a smile began to worm itself onto his face. Smiling back at him, she wove the man's tear into a ring upon her finger, and then wrapped herself around his frame, misting his body._

_With a smile, the woman reached within his chest and seized control of his arms, guiding him. She felt his elation as she did so. Moving his body, like a dance on the wedding floor, she wove him through the motions. The air in front of him gave birth to her waters, and as small as they were, for the man's mind was inexperienced and his body unaccustomed, it was the right amount. As his eyes gleamed, she extended her hand and… swirled the water within the air into a ring of water. Smiling, she stared forward into his eyes, and was pleased when another of those beautiful tears fell down his face. _

_She graced him with the ring upon his hand in return. She used the man's ring finger as a needle and thread it through her ring, watching in satisfaction as he pulled it back and stared with wide eyes and a wider smile as the water ring lost form and cascaded down his forearm, seeping into his skin and into his very being. And thus, under the watchful and hateful light of the moon, she guided the man along his first experiences moving the water under his own will, forever glaring in the face of the moon as it tried in vein to seize its waters once more. And, each time it succeeded, she provided that beautiful man with her own waters pulled from the air._

_Thus, the Uzumaki had doomed his family._

* * *

Naruto beamed with an overwhelming euphoria as he heard the booming cries and shouts of approval and awe from the audience. He felt their excitement, their energy, their sheer amazement at what he had done seep into his body and only multiply that euphoric feeling into something else. It was… beautiful in its own way. Naruto's face morphed into a serene smile as he felt her presence again, wrapping around his body and extending her lengthy arms across his right forearm, grasping his ring finger with a sort of reverence and love. Naruto found the feeling unholily pleasant.

Miraculously, a ring formed around his finger. A thin veil of mist had taken form, holding itself together tightly around his finger, but not tight enough as to cut off his circulation. Astonished, Naruto raised the hand to his vision and watched as slowly the mist froze to become floating globules of water that quickly gained numbers until his ring finger was surrounded by a circle of the liquid. The announcer was seen amiably speaking with a referee who had appeared at his side, but Naruto did not notice as the ring of water began to lose form and cascade across his palm and wrist, dripping in long, thin lines down his forearm, where it began to seep into his skin and spread throughout his body.

He felt her spread her influence throughout his body. It was wonderfully joyous. It was like happiness personified was moving throughout his system, starting from his right arm and moving across his collar bone to his other arm, before dripping down through his chest into his feet, and rising up through his head. As it reached his eyes, for a brief moment, the smile flashed throughout Naruto's eyes as her deep, _deep _desire began to flood his system. She wanted something. Anything. And, in that brief moment of delusion, it seemed to Naruto that now his parents weren't the only person he owed blood.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, quite a conundrum has been caused by this young man's err… unconventional water bending. However, due to specificity with the rules, the boy's waterbending is currently _within _the rules of the arena. However! After this match, a rule will be put into place strictly prohibiting the use of the air as a source for waterbending!" The crowd did not react, but other teams began to shout and cheer, clearly happy that Naruto's advantage had been prohibited, though Naruto did not care, for the mist from before had wrapped itself once more around his frame, whispering sweet little nothings into his ear as he began to rock on the balls of his feet much like a street brawler would as they began to hype themselves up.

"Round 3, Start!" At the announcer's call, Naruto's eyes dropped into a narrowed, focused stare. The mist crawling along his forearms acted as a guide, as they had done for numerous others. Raising his hand with a slow drawl, his wrist not supporting his hand and allowing it to flop over, water began to appear following his hand from the air, much like the motions a lightning bender would use to generate their own vicious form of firebending. Naruto felt her urge him to freeze it, but he had to restrict himself, even as he felt her sadness at his actions. Use of ice wasn't within the rules.

Regardless, Naruto formed an expanse of water shaped into a whip in the air in front of him, and waited. He was looking for it. She had told him it would appear. Mako and Bolin had gone on the offense, forcing the other team to take up a quick but sturdy defense against their barrage of flames and earth. And Naruto waited. Watched. And, opportunity showed itself, just as the mistress had whispered into his head.

Their firebender had been waiting, waiting and watching Naruto, prepared to react to anything the boy might throw at him. But, for just one brief moment, he was distracted as he had to cover for his teammate briefly, giving Naruto an opening. At that moment, the mist seemed to bite onto his arm, forcing it to move. And it did.

Snapping forward, the whip soared across the arena and slapped itself into the head of the firebender, as water happened to be the only element that was granted the ability to hit the heads. The firebender was shocked, unable to react and prepare for the sudden attack. This surprise offensive had forced him off his feet, and Naruto's other arm snapped forward in response.

The air bled water across his arm in a spiral down its length, and the arena watched as it snapped out much like a snake would, launching off of Naruto's arm and impacting with a heavy sound into the firebenders chest, sending him further and faster through the air, until he dropped off of the edge and into the water with a loud, resounding smack.

The arena lit up, cheering endlessly for Naruto. But their cries did not matter to him in that moment. The mistress had pressed herself up against him, laid her head across his shoulder and whispered her brief congratulations to the boy for his first time, and then she vanished. Disappeared. Gone. He could still feel the power she had granted him, could still feel the way the very air seemed to drip at his will, but she was gone.

For a brief moment, he had felt hollow, sad. But it was replaced by a sense of accomplishment. She had not left out of a desire to abandon him, but rather, she felt he was ready. He was capable to do things on his own now. And, while he missed the way her cool mists had draped themselves across his body from before, this feeling of accomplishment hadn't reared its head for over a decade. This one accomplishment had once more granted Naruto's eyes that shimmering clarity they were fond of showing.

Smirking as pride filled his chest, Naruto whipped his arms back and brought the two water snakes to his side, floating around his arms as an ethereal representation of his actions. Mako and Bolin nodded at him, and began to unleash their attacks with a newly reinvigorated determination. And slowly, they began to dominate.

Naruto stepped forward, his arms moving in swirls as he did so, before unleashing one arm forward and to the left. The snake jumped forward and impacted Mako's plume of flame and created a large veil of steam that covered the arena. But Naruto could _see _now. He could feel the way the water morphed around their bodies. He no longer needed his eyes. His mind now granted him a vision he had not experienced before. Smiling, Naruto snapped his other arm forward and wrapped the whip around the opposing team's waterbender, heaving him upward into the air.

The crowd watched as the Ember Island Eel Hounds' waterbender suddenly appeared above the veil of steam, and their eyes widened as the steam began to move upward, condensing and once more forming a familiar whip of water that smacked into the chest of the bender, sending him forward and off of the side of the arena. Naturally, they cheered.

And then there was one. Naruto smirked at him, his eyes narrowing into an egotistical stare that unnerved the opposing earthbender, who shook before frantically sending a wave of earth discs towards Naruto.

"Bolin!"

"Right!" The boy countered by sending his own discs into those already in the air, shattering them upon impact. Those he missed were picked off by quick snaps of water. The earthbender was unable to score a hit against the Ferrets, and yet, they were unable to score a hit on his frame as well. Naruto began to get annoyed. This was taking too long.

In a spur of inspiration, Naruto dropped the snakes that had been acting as his arms and began to weave his body through a series of swirling feats of flexibility before ending by pulling his arms back with a might heave as if he was pulling on a rope. And, miraculously, a wave formed behind the earthbender, forcing him forward in a targeted attack that sent him flying over the Fire Ferret's edge of the arena. Naruto basked in the glow of the arena afterwards, raising his hands and bowing in a dramatic fashion. He'd won.

Mako and Bolin ran up to him, slapping his shoulders and yelling excitedly. They'd won! This euphoria was strong enough for the boys to ignore that they had seen their own teammate get permanently _paralyzed, _but they would remember soon. For the moment, joy circulated their systems in massive doses.

Naruto twirled around on one foot in a happy, joyful dance. While a wide smile reflected the lights of the arena, his eyes closed with the weight of what had happened. And, Naruto had a realization. This match was an apology, on both ends. For she had not shielded him against the smile, and he had ignored her for a decade. In that moment, of realizing that the match was both their own ways to apologize to each other, Naruto opened his eyes and saw her floating above him, grasping his face with an ethereal smile made of mist. The arena could not see her, but he could. And he extended his arms towards her. And she accepted his embrace.

Up in the stands, the man smiled, the corner's of his eyes crinkling as they gleamed in a way that wasn't entirely dangerous. Sighing, the man pushed himself up off of his seat and gestured for the woman that was with him to do the same. While Korra continued to cheer for her best friend, Kuvira turned to look over her shoulder and narrow her eyes as the man left.

"Who are you?" She called out, and wasn't surprised that he heard, even over Korra's own outrageously loud cheering. He turned to look at her, chuckling as a smirk took hold over his face.

"Well, you've finally gotten the balls to ask me huh? Heheh, well, in spirit of the boy's win, I'll tell ya. The name's Kurama, not like you'll be able to do anything with that info, but whatever. See ya around, _dancer._" With that, the man saluted and left the arena, leaving Kuvira intensely worried about exactly who that man was, and even more intrigued about Naruto.

The boy, and the subsequent mystery surrounding him, had begun to bleed into every facet of Kuvira's life. Every moment of her day in which Kuvira had time to think, she was pondering _him. _What had happened in the boy's life to craft the man he was becoming? The person he already was? More importantly, Kuvira decided, what had traumatized the boy so much that he had shown her such a devastating fear that his face still wouldn't leave her? And, spirits above, why did she care so much?

If she was honest with herself though, Kuvira thought she knew why. Everything was so confusing, and… that excited her! For all of her life, she had known what to do. And if she didn't, she was told what to do. Why something was the way it was. Excluding the excursion she had taken, but that was an outlier. And now, Kuvira found herself endlessly excited trying to unravel whatever was happening with Naruto.

Kuvira wasn't given much time to ponder the question when Korra began to bounce up and down in front of her.

"Come on come on! We've gotta go see him!" Korra's incessant yelling was more than enough to get Kuvira to get up and follow her, even if the fact that it was her job to wasn't.

* * *

"Good job out there dude. I didn't even know waterbenders could use water from the air!" Bolin's excited shout made Naruto smile and look up to meet the boy's shimmering green eyes with his own sapphire orbs. Though, before he could respond, Mako stepped forward from behind his brother and stared at Naruto with his patented serious eyes.

"Yes well, the world didn't know waterbenders could do that until today. How'd you even do that anyway? I was trying to figure it out during the match. My guess is that you were using splashes of water to sort of 'inject' the water into the air for you to use, but then that wouldn't explain how you pulled so much out." Naruto nodded along with Mako's guess, weighing it in his head.

"Good guess, I'll give you that, but," Naruto groaned slightly as he stood up, smiling, "You're wrong." He shrugged his shoulders, smiling at the firebender, "I don't know what to tell you. There's no trick, no sleight of hand, no illusions, nothing. I just," Naruto reached his hand up and the brother's watched as tendrils of water began to reach slowly down hovering above his hand, twisting around it in an oddly snake like manner, "Reach out and pull it. Its like… like a rope. And I'm just always aware that it's there now. Before the match, I had no clue. But, something in the air just, came to me. Gave me its waters. Its support. I don't know any other way to describe it." As he spoke, Naruto had brought his forearm down and watched as the water writhed around it, though maintaining distance from actually touching his skin. It felt… weird how natural this came to him all of a sudden. The mistress was surely just a delusion, right?

"Well, I'm sure you're the first person to just 'grab' water from the air like that." Mako grunted exasperatedly, his stare softening as he found all of the irritation from the night washing away from pure exhaustion, sitting down next to Naruto and leaning forward.

"We're gonna need a waterbender now that Hasook's…" Mako trailed off, the boys in the room looking down in a silent agreement to ignore, for the moment, what had happened. Bolin sat down and sighed as well, resting his face on his balled fists and looking at the ground.

"Well, now that my air-waterbending is banned, I'm basically an average waterbender, so there's better choices than me out there somewhere. And well, if you can't find anyone, I guess I could still play for you guys. But, well I was gonna say it earlier but the match started, my friend Korra loves pro-bending, always has. And she's a great bender." Naruto's offer made the brother's look up at him, intrigued.

"What's she bend?" Mako's question was innocent enough, though Naruto felt that he implied well enough that he meant water, but regardless he puffed his cheek out slightly.

"Ehhhhh… she's a waterbender. She's pretty good at it, too. I'd say-"

"What do you mean pretty good? I'm great at it!" The boy's all looked up as a booming, joyous voice rang throughout the gym as Korra stepped in brazenly, smiling cheekily at Naruto as Kuvira stepped forward from behind her. Naruto smiled, waving at her as Mako and Bolin continued to stare at her.

"Woah…" Bolin whispered, his eyes sparkling. Mako looked at him, and then back at Naruto and Korra as the girls walked up to him, smiling, and when he looked back at Bolin and saw the look in his eye, he felt bad for his brother.

Korra laughed at Naruto with a cheeky tone, elbowing the boy and then throwing her arm around his shoulder, pulling the taller boy down to her level. Kuvira shook her head and palmed her forehead.

"So uh, gah let go of me geez, this is uh, Korra seriously come on." Naruto grunted, through laughs, as he tried to get out of Korra's headlock. The girl glared at him playfully and hung onto his head.

"Nope! Not until you tell me how you bent water out of the air!" Her demand was simple enough, and Naruto sighed.

"Fine. I was already gonna tell you, you know that." Naruto groaned, rubbing his neck after Korra released it while giggling at him.

"Yea I know, but it's funner this way." Naruto only moaned in response, shaking his head slightly, before perking up.

"Anyway, this is Korra," at his prompt, the girl waved with a smile towards Mako and Bolin, who both waved back, though Bolin was considerably energetic about it, "And this here is Kuvira." Kuvira's wave was more controlled and polite, along with a slight nod of her head, to which Mako and Bolin also gave back.

"Anyway, Korra we were just talking about you. They're gonna need a waterbender for their team, annnnnnnnnd…?" Naruto's question caused Korra to look at him with wide eyes, and then back to Bolin and Mako with an excited grin.

"Really!? I'd love to! Oh can I can I can I!?" Korra ran up to Bolin and grabbed onto his arms, jumping up and down excitedly as she stared into his face. Bolin blushed and looked at anything that _wasn't _Korra, though he looked at her with an awkward smile and laughed a little.

"Uh-huh… yea! Yeah you can! I mean, we need one anyway right?" Korra's face lit up even more, and she began to jump around in celebration. Bolin laughed, watching her with faraway eyes, and Mako sighed. Naruto watched with a smile, though a tap on his shoulder prompted him to look at Kuvira.

"Naruto, Master Tenzin isn't going to like this. He's very much against pro-bending." Naruto looked at her, and then back at Korra, before groaning.

"Damn… I'll figure something out, don't worry about it." At his words, Kuvira flexed her jaw and narrowed her eyes, pulling him aside again.

"No, I'm not gonna let you do that alone. We all, and that means You Korra and Me, will figure something out to tell Tenzin, got it? You don't need to do everything alone Naruto." Kuvira whispered with a considerable edge to her voice, practically glaring at Naruto, who nodded with a little tone of fear in his eyes.

Mako watched their interaction with a curious gleam in his eyes, and then narrowed them when the image of Hasook's broken body came to mind. He still didn't trust Naruto one bit. In fact, he'd go as far as to say that he distrusted Naruto. He just learned how to bend water out of the air in a random pro-bending match he didn't even want to participate in? Yea right and Mako was Firelord Zuko.

After a brief moment where Korra began to talk to and meet her new teammates, the group began to leave. Though, Kuvira was pulled aside by Mako before they left.

"Hey, what do you know about Naruto?" At Mako's question, Kuvira narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering why Mako wanted to know.

"Why do you ask?" Mako narrowed his eyes, glancing over at Naruto and then back to Bolin, before returning his gaze to Kuvira.

"I don't know what kind of relationship you two've got together, but something about him doesn't sit right with me. He came in here with…" Mako stopped himself, backing up slightly from Kuvira and staring at her with wide eyes.

"No, no you… you're not with _him _are you?" Mako whispered to himself, though Kuvira caught it and stepped towards him.

"What do you know about that man!?" Kuvira demanded in a whisper, reigning in her ferocity and glare quickly as to not rouse the rest of the group. Mako looked at her, and then glanced all around him quickly.

"You're talking about the 'King' of Republic City. He knows… god he knows _everything_. Nothing happens in this city that he doesn't know about in some way. I shouldn't even be telling you this. But, I'd be careful of your friend there. The only reason he 'played' with us in that match was because that man came in and _paralyzed _my teammate. You'd better be careful." With his piece said, Mako left as Bolin did, leaving Kuvira with a lot to consider.


	8. Chapter 8

_Her eyes opened to a sudden snowstorm billowing into her face, briefly blinding her until it was swept away quickly by a brief, blinding flash of white. The weather cleared and in its place stood a compound. Light had shone into the compound from the sky in a grand beam. Something, a blur, was floating in the air upwards. _

_To her right, a man dashed forward, slipping and falling every other step with a frantic, frenzied disposition. His screams of 'No' continued to echo even as the stomping of his feet dulled and grew silent as he ran into the compound. She followed, why she knew not._

_The compound was grand, large. Royal. Regal. Pristine. Wonderful, intricate sculptures of ice flanked either side of the paths. And, deep down, she began to feel revenant, as if she had been the first outsider to step within the humbling walls in a long time. She continued to walk, admiring all that she passed, until she found them._

_A large group of 70 some odd people, ages ranging far and wide, were crouched with their hands raised towards the beam in a revering fashion. Their mouths were dropped open, their eyes seemed unfocused. And, trailing upwards from their arms into the open air, was blood. Crimson had stained the air all around the compound. And, despite her attempts to help them as she ran forward and did whatever came to mind, the 70 slowly died and left only 2 in their place._

_The man she had seen dash forward from before, and at a closer look he appeared to actually be a teen, was crouching whilst crying, gritting his teeth in anger and punching the ground as the crimson continued to permeate throughout the center of the compound. And, a girl. A small thing she was, but she seemed happy despite the death that surrounded her. She began to dance around in circles, and from her hands snow billowed into the air. And, the crimson within it disappeared, warped into a hole that disappeared and was replaced by mist that began to dance around the girl as she bent the water in the air into snow._

_While the girl was dancing she stepped forward, kneeling and looking at the girl. She felt the way her face smiled in an attempt to be comforting, and the girl giggling as she did so, running into her arms. She looked down, and watched as the girl with violet eyes and red hair became a boy with blue eyes and blonde hair. She blinked, looking at him with a faint recognition, before a hand made of mist dipped down and grasped the top of his head. And, despite her attempts to stop it, blood began to leak from his arms into the air._

Blue eyes fluttered open quickly, pupils dilating and focusing until the world and its sun came into view, wiping away the blood that had blinded Korra's dream. Her breathing, rapid and heavy, began to gradually slow down as Korra sat up. She shook her head, holding her hand to her forehead. What was that dream? It had felt so… real. It had felt urgent. It was trying to tell her something and she couldn't for the life of her figure it out.

Sighing, Korra resigned herself to ponder it later as she stood up, stretching with a pop of her back and a groan. As she began to get dressed, a knock on the door was followed by Kuvira entering, closing the door and leaning against it as she waved.

"Morning Korra."

"Mornin'."

The pair sat in a comfortable silence as Korra finished getting dressed, sitting down on the bed and clasping her hands together in her lap, looking down casually.

"Well, how was your sleep?" Kuvira asked with a small smile, tapping the wall behind her with her hand in a bored fashion. A sense of awkwardness began to build, until Korra sighed and shook her head.

"Sorry its just, I had a weird dream last night." Korra explained, looking at Kuvira with a placating smile and gesturing in a 'that's all' manner. Kuvira nodded, stepping forward and sitting on the bed beside Korra, staring up at the ceiling in thought.

"A dream hmm?" Korra hummed back, causing Kuvira to chuckle. "Well, I'm not quite the spiritual person myself, but I would ask Tenzin about it at least. Avatar dreams are sort of a big deal as far as I know. Usually they're trying to tell you something, I think anyway. There's always the chance you just had a dream and that was all." Kuvira turned to look for Korra's reaction, and frowned slightly when Korra continued to look down in thought.

"Hmm… Well, I kinda don't wanna talk to Tenzin about it. Even if he may know something, he'd get all weird about it and probably stop me from doing anything. Plus, well," Korra fumbled with the furs at waist slightly, "Naruto was in it, I think anyway." Kuvira nodded, and tried to hide the way her brows raised slightly, before meeting Korra's waiting gaze.

"You think he was in it? Hm. Tell me about it." At her prompt, Korra got up and walked around the room, pacing slowly.

"Well, it happened in a really snowy, cold place. So, I'm thinking probably the South Pole. I mean, up until a few months ago that was all me or Naruto really saw. All we really knew, so, that's probably where it was. And then, someplace I'd never seen before. Really _big _place. A… A compound sort of. Red walls on the outside if I remember." Korra continued to pace slowly as the dream returned in pieces, and Kuvira nodded along trying to help.

"And a man ran past me, but, I don't think he was really a man. I, I think he was more of a teen. Well, doesn't matter anyway. I walked in, and… It just felt like I didn't belong there. Like it was off limits. You know," Korra gestured towards Kuvira, "A 'no outsiders' kinda thing?" Kuvira nodded, causing Korra to smile as relief dripped into her chest a little bit.

"Anyway, it was beautiful. I don't think I can describe it well enough but, it was like a private, walled off set of homes. And, the paths that were around the little… city thing were lined on each side with these gorgeous _ice _sculptures. I've never seen anything like them." At her words, Korra looked off into space with a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face as she thought of those oh so beautiful sculptures.

"Ice sculptures? What were they, like, like what were they modeling?" At Kuvira's question, Korra looked at her with an 'o' face, and then pointed her index on her chin, looking up in thought.

"Well, all sorts of things really. Some of them were of people, a lot of women actually. Long hair with some sort of robe. A few were of snow crystals, and, there was this one. Near the center of the compound. It was huge. A big head. Of a woman. She was… spirits she was beautiful. Every sculpture was beautiful. Everything about that place was just so… gorgeous." Korra's voice gained a reverant tone to it, and Kuvira thought that she couldn't picture such a place existing.

"What happened after that?" Kuvira's question caused Korra to stop pacing and frown, looking down at her bed in thought.

"There was a large mass of people. They were kneeling. A beam," Korra raised her hand into the air and indicated the direction of the beam, "Of light was coming down from the sky into the center. They were all kneeling around it. Raising their arms up. And," Korra stopped indicating it, looking down at the ground with lost eyes. "There was blood floating into the air from their arms." Kuvira reeled back in alarm, looking at Korra with wide eyes.

"What?" She was ignored as Korra once more immersed herself in the dream.

"One by one, they all fell over. Dead. Until, all that was left was that boy from before, glaring at the ground and grinding his teeth, and, this small girl. She was smiling. Smiling." Korra looked up at Kuvira to emphasize how _wrong _that sounded. "She was happy. And, she was bending snow. Little puffs of snow were coming out of her tiny hands as she danced around in circles, surrounded by her dead family, or at least it seemed like they were all family. I don't know why, if she was just too young to get it or, or what but, she was dancing. And, I kneeled to her. I could feel myself smile, but it was trained. Tense. I was smiling to make her smile. And she did, running into my arms." Korra looked up again, looking at Kuvira.

"She was beautiful too. Her smile gleamed in the sun. She had these two, cute and big violet eyes. And she had long, silky looking red hair. Pretty little girl she was." The smile that adorned Korra's face as she said that made Kuvira begin to think there was more to this dream than she thought, considering it was the smile of a person talking about their friend.

"And, she just… changed. Her hair fell away until it was only up to her neck, and it bleached until it became as blonde as Naruto's, and her eyes even became as blue as his eyes. She became a perfect picture of a young Naruto. But, this… hand made of mist grabbed his head. And blood began to float up from his arms like the others, but before I could do anything I just woke up." Korra finished the retelling of her dream and sat back down next to Kuvira, the pair looking down in thought. Eventually, after a few moments, Kuvira hmmed.

"Well, that's a lot to think about." Korra nodded, the pair still looking down until Kuvira looked up, Korra doing the same. "But, I'm sure we can figure it out. The real issue is figuring out who those people were. Got any more details about em' I should know?" At this, Korra nodded her head in a negative making Kuvira bite the inside of her cheek in thought.

"Hrmm, well, let's not worry about it right now. I heard Councillor Tarrlok is on his way here, so we should probably get going." Kuvira stood up, offering her hand out to Korra who took it with a curious look.

"Wait, that Councillor guy is coming here? Why?" The pair exited the room, lead by Kuvira, who placed her hands together behind her back and strode along through the female dorms.

"I don't know actually. Maybe he's here to talk to you, but I think it's probably just to talk to Tenzin about something. I wouldn't worry too much about it." Korra nodded, relieved from the odd thrill of her dream as the pair exited the dorms, walking side by side towards the training grounds.

The pair strode forward, and eventually the training grounds came into view, and they noticed a new figure standing in the 'observer' area that was frequented by Naruto and Kuvira, while Naruto and Tenzin were excitedly talking to each other near the wooden boards. The figure turned around, revealing a smiling Tarrlok who waved lazily with one hand.

"Hahah, hello! Good to see you two decided to show up, those two haven't stopped talking all morning." Tarrlok greeted, gesturing towards Naruto and Tenzin who were smiling excitedly at each other, practically jumping with energy as they conversed.

"What're they talking about?" Korra asked, stepping forward and crossing her arms as she watched the pair. Tarrlok stepped forward next to her side, even as Kuvira watched from behind with a keen eye, and smiled at Korra.

"I presume it's about the boy's recent discovery of his new 'air' waterbending. Tenzin seemed quite excited about it when the boy showed up." Korra narrowed her eyes and looked up towards Tarrlok, glaring slightly.

"'The boy' has a name you know. It's Naruto. What're you here for anyway?" She grunted out at him in a slight fit of anger, and Tarrlok chuckled, staring forward at Naruto.

"Yes, Naruto it is then. As for why I'm here, well, I want to talk to him. And, if possible, I want him to take an aptitude test." At the mention of a test, Korra looked at him with curiosity while Kuvira stepped forward, standing on the other wide of Korra.

"An aptitude test? What do you mean?" Korra asked, and Kuvira looked over at her with a slight look of surprise, caught by Korra who asked "What?", though Kuvira looked forward with small smile.

"Nothing it's just, I forgot you wouldn't know what an aptitude test is since you're the Avatar. An aptitude test is essentially just a test of a person's ability to bend. Their latent talent. You know, bending is sort of a muscle. You can get better and better at it, but each person starts at a different point. Councillor, what's a waterbending test like anyway?" Kuvira leaned forward, looking at Tarrlok who smiled at her charismatically.

"Glad you asked. Waterbending aptitude tests are comprised of little exercises designed to test how much water a person can control and with how much accuracy. Waterbenders are generally divided into two groups, and for lack of better names, 'Big' or 'Small' benders. 'Big' waterbenders are skilled at bending vast amounts of water, think waves. But they struggle with precise control and small amounts of water, where as 'Small' waterbenders are the opposite, precise and skilled with small amounts, but struggle to control or even bend larger amounts. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, naturally. But, I'm curious how the boy will test, considering he's able to pull water out of the air. The last person I knew who could do that never let me test them." Tarrlok's smile dipped for a split second, but Kuvira caught it, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Who was that other person?" Korra asked, genuinely curious. It wasn't every day you learned about people capable of bending water out of the air. Tarrlok smirked, looking down at her with nearly predatory eyes.

"What, you didn't know? It was the boy's mother, Kushina Uzumaki. Damn feisty woman she was, and a damn good bender too. If the boy's half the bender she was, well, that'll be good news." Tarrlok's smile gained a sinisterly manipulative quality about it as he finished, though Korra hung onto the bit about Naruto's mother, looking down as she furrowed her brow. She supposed, with a great struggle mentally, that she really didn't know much about Naruto, well, at least about anything that wasn't his personality. That she knew like the back of her hand. Which begged the question, why wouldn't he tell her whatever was bothering him?

Her mental struggle returning tenfold, Korra was too distracted to notice as Tenzin and Naruto began to approach the group, smiling and talking to each other.

"-ust pull it, I swear! There's nothing complicated about it. Seriously!" Naruto's trailing sentence caused her to look up, and she smiled as she saw his happy face as he talked amiably with Tenzin, before turning to look at her and smiling as well, waving as he stepped forward.

"Mornin' guys! What took ya so long hmm?" Naruto asked, comically placing his hands at his hips and bending towards Kuvira and Korra, narrowing his eyes and smiling at them. Kuvira smiled and Korra giggled, before snatching his head and locking her arms around it.

"Nothing you need ta' know about chump!" Korra laughed, holding his head tightly even as the boy struggled through giggles.

"Agh no fair!" Naruto groaned, struggling to get out of her headlock until Tarrlok stepped forward, annoyed. Korra, seeing him, stopped immediately and let Naruto up, who continued to laugh.

"What's wrong, fraid' I'll take you on huh? You never let me out withou-Oh. Hey there uhhhhh…" Naruto trailed off, staring at Tarrlok with an open mouth and narrowing his eyes in thought. Tarrlok waited, until Tenzin shook his head and stepped forward, standing beside Naruto.

"This man here Naruto is Councillor and Chairman of the Republic City Council, Tarrlok. And Tarrlok, this young man here is Naruto." Tenzin formally introduced the pair, nodding in a gesture to shake hands, and the pair did so smiling at each other.

"Good to see you Naruto. I'm actually here to talk to you. You've taken an aptitude test before right?" At Tarrlok's question, Naruto looked up in thought, cringing slightly as he did so.

"Hrmm… no. I don't think I have. Why?" Tarrlok's brows raised ever so slightly for a brief moment, before he looked into the boy's eyes once more.

"Well, I'm here to give you one. You up for it boy?" At this, Naruto looked at Korra, then to Kuvira, before looking back at Tarrlok.

"Ehhhh I don't know…" Naruto trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck, though Tenzin got his attention.

"I think you should take it Naruto, I'm curious to see how you would do on it." Tenzin's opinion made Tarrlok smile, appraising the man slightly.

"That's exactly what I thought Councillor Tenzin." Tenzin's serene smile dropped and he stared at Tarrlok.

"It's _Master _Tenzin on this island, Chairman." Tenzin's tone held an edge, but Tarrlok ignored it, nodding his head and then looking back to Naruto.

"Well, that's besides the point. You up for the test, Naruto?" At this, Naruto nodded his head from side to side, looking up in thought, before shrugging his shoulders and nodding, causing Tarrlok to smile, grabbing something from his pocket.

"Perfect. Alright, follow me to the cliff over there, we're gonna need a source of water. And while we're on the way, could you go ahead and freeze this for me?" As the group strode forward, Tarrlok and Naruto leading, Tarrlok handed Naruto a clear bottle of water, and watched as the boy took it, glancing at it as he turned it over.

"Freeze it? That's it? Alright, I gotcha." As he finished, the group watched as the water bottle rapidly froze, instantly becoming a solid chunk of ice surrounded by plastic in his hand. Korra's eyes widened slightly, she couldn't freeze something that fast! Tarrlok and Tenzin merely nodded however.

"I figured he'd have his mother's talent at that sort of thing." Tenzin mentioned, staring at the frozen bottle in Naruto's hand while Tarrlok hummed in agreement. Naruto had apparently missed the comment, seeing as he didn't react to it when he usually was all about hearing stories about his parents.

"Alright, thank you. We usually do that after the rest of the tests but I figured we could get it out of the way. Now, what I want you to do is first grab a moderately sized sphere of water, got it?" Naruto nodded at the instructions, going through a simple wave-like motion of his hand and bent a sphere of water into the space in front of him as the group watched from a small distance away. Tarrlok nodded, stepping forward.

"Alright, now what I want you to do is split it in two," the boy did so with ease, "Now split those in two," Again Naruto did so with ease, "And now, split those four by four." Naruto waited a moment until he understood what Tarrlok wanted him to do. The Councillor leaned forward, watching, and smiled as the boy did what he asked with ease, leaving him with 16 floating spheres of water.

"Excellent. Now what I want you to do is split each of _those _by 16." Korra's mouth dropped slightly, honestly a little shocked at what the test entailed, but watched as Naruto merely nodded a little, looking up as he thought about the instructions.

"Alright." He mumbled, flexing his fingers slightly as each of the 16 spheres split in half, and in half once more, before splitting by 4 again. Kuvira raised her brow, Tenzin nodded, Korra's mouth dropped open slightly in a 'woah' manner, and Tarrlok grinned.

"Alright, if you did this right, there should be 256 spheres of water. Let's see here…" Tarlok narrowed his eyes and began to count the circles, before grinning and chuckling. "I don't know why I bothered checking, I figured you'd ace this part. Now, drop all of those except one." Naruto did so, complying before bending the small ball over his open palm, looking at it with a curious hint of reverence in his eyes.

"Great. Now, I want you to keep splitting that and getting rid of each piece until you have one left. So, split that in two," Naruto did so, "And get rid of one of those so you only have one. Keep doing that as long as you can." Naruto nodded, and proceeded to do so, and the group watched as the sphere continued and continued to get smaller and smaller, until eventually it became a very tiny droplet of water that hovered above his hand even as his other hand raised to split it once more.

"That's enough Naruto, that's small enough. Alright, now, I want you to freeze that ball." Naruto nodded, and instantly froze it into a little piece of hail that dropped into his hand. Tarrlok grinned once more, that sinister tint of it returning briefly, though Kuvira once again caught it.

"Good good. Now, melt it again," Naruto did so, and the droplet returned, "And I want you to shape that water into a shape. A face, if you could." At this instruction, Naruto puckered his lips in thought, before looking down and bringing his free hand up to bend the water. Korra stepped forward, getting a closer look at his bending, prompting Kuvira to do the same.

They watched as Naruto bent it into a detailed portrait of, someone. Korra and Kuvira narrowed their eyes, trying to recognize the face, as did Tarrlok. They watched as a smile began to get carved into the water, stretching across the face in a grotesque way. Tarrlok eventually shook his head, patting Naruto's shoulder.

"Alright that's enough boy, we've seen enough. You're extremely gifted at the 'Small' aspects of water bending, which I figured since you are capable of pulling the water in the air. Now," Tarrlok grinned, this was the test he really wanted to see, "Let's move onto the 'Big' portion. So, back to the cliff, come on come on." Tarrlok ushered with a well hidden excitement, though Tenzin and Kuvira were able to spot it.

"Alright, this part is simple. Really really simple. All you need to do is see how much water you can bend. So, start bending some water from the ocean," Naruto did so, planting his feet and moving his arms through some quick pushing and pulling before raising his hands high, the group behind him watching as the ocean began to swell upwards, "Good, good. Keep going. Pull as much as you can as high as you can." Naruto nodded, lowering his knees and exhaling, before flexing his hands and raising his hands higher.

The ocean parted, a massive pond swelling upwards into the air in a fantastic, wavy display of waterbending. The group watched as thin tendrils of water began to pull upwards from the ocean, continuing to add onto the massive sphere that was forming in the air. Tarrlok grinned, egging the boy on as he leaned over the railing, staring at the sphere. The group behind Naruto, however, caught the way his footing slipped slightly, the boy's eyes widening as his arms tensed slightly.

Naruto had begun to worry. He'd never bent this much water, and he was continuing to add more! He could feel the way his control of the water was slipping, the way his footing was slipping, the way he was losing his focus. But, suddenly, a kiss upon his brow. His muscles relaxed, the water he was bending stilled, and he stood up straighter, his footing regained. She'd help him.

Tenzin, Kuvira, and Korra watched with open mouths as the air above the sphere began to form tendrils that began to feed into the sphere, adding mass to it while the tendrils on the bottom began to dissipate and dip back into the ocean. Tarrlok's grin grew that sinister hint to it as a full blown tone, though facing away from everyone he didn't care. This was perfect.

"Yes, good, good! Now, heave it back at the ocean with all of your might!" Tarrlok demanded, backing up behind the boy and watching as he moved.

Slowly, Naruto began to rock forward and back on his heels, the sphere mimicking his motions as he did so. It began to get more and more viscous, launching in random directions but never losing water, until eventually Naruto dropped his hands quickly, his whole body heaving forward to the point that he had fallen onto his knee. Tarrlok paid no mind, though Korra and Kuvira stepped forward to see if the boy needed help, but the deafening splash was enough to pull their attention away from him towards the ocean as it swelled upwards from the force of suddenly re-gaining such a vast quantity of water.

"Woah…" Korra muttered, watching as the ocean slowly regained its calm waves, but it took a while. Tarrlok continued to grin excitedly at the ocean as he watched it and Kuvira helped Naruto up while he thanked her quietly. Tenzin stepped forward, placing his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"While it is truly wonderful to see another Uzumaki again, be careful Naruto. With bending this strong it's very easy for you to bring harm to someone, even your allies." Tenzin whispered into the boy's ear while everyone else was still distracted as they took in what Naruto had done. The boy turned to look at Tenzin with serious eyes, though the monk shook his head. "You don't have to assure me, I know you'll be fine. But, I want you to know something." Tenzin turned the boy and him away from the group, pulling Naruto a little closer to him, "Your mother spoke of a very… _grave _price for this type of bending. She was rather secretive about it, and I respected her enough not to pry but, be careful Naruto. Sincerely, the world has no need to lose you right now." Tenzin's voice gained a softness to it as did his face, remembering what had happened to Kushina and Minato, "I hope to not have to bury another Uzumaki, Naruto." With that final sincere hope, Tenzin withdrew from the boy's personal space and approached Tarrlok, who continued to stare out past the railing towards the ocean.

"I don't know what you're planning on, Councillor, but I doubt I will agree to it." Tenzin stated passively, staring at the sun's reflection across the water. Tarrlok suddenly turned to look at him, a brief, almost animalistic hatred had flashed across his eyes and Tenzin was sure what he had seen wasn't a reflection from the sun, but it was quickly covered by that patented Tarrlok charisma.

"Oh it's not much, I simply want the boy to join my task force. We could really use him in the war against the Equalists." Tarrlok's grin irritated Tenzin to no end even as the man's arms went out and he shrugged his shoulders.

"That's not going to happen Tarrlok, and you know it. The boy is Korra's friend, and he has helped her make significant progress with the spiritual side of her position as Avatar. The boy's presence is good for her, and her presence good for him. I will not allow you to take that away from either of them." Tenzin stated with an edge to his voice, narrowing his eyes at the waterbender, who only grinned back.

"Well then, we've already got a meeting today. Let's take it to a vote." Tenzin didn't want to, but he couldn't exactly refuse to. He merely nodded his head, turning towards the three minors and approaching them with a heavy sag to his face.

"Gahhhh… We've got a meeting to go to today, so you're all free to do what you like, even if it's that… repulsive act you call a sport. Just… be careful today." Tenzin told them, getting a beaming smile from Korra while Kuvira and Naruto looked passively elated.

"Come on guys, let's get outta here! Republic City here we come!" Korra shouted happily, sprinting forward and jumping with joy coursing through her system, energy beaming from her eyes. Kuvira smiled and followed, jogging to catch up, while Naruto strode forward slowly, taking his time as he looked up all around him, doing a little swirl as he caught up.

He continued to look up, swirling as he walked. She was with him. In the air. She was beautiful. He had known she was, but now he was truly looking at her. Examining her. The mistress was perhaps the most gorgeous thing he had seen. The ethereal beauty floated all around him, copying his motions as she swirled throughout the air, beaming at him much like Korra did. Covered in a veil of mist and hidden behind a curtain of mystery was this wonderful being, and Naruto could feel joy swell through his chest to a euphoric level at the thought that she had graced his eyes with her image.

The girls turned to watch him swirling with his arms wide out, an open mouthed smile on his face as his eyes tracked some unseen thing in the air. And, they smiled. The happiness exuding from him was contagious. Naruto, meanwhile, felt a brief spike of sadness at the wandering contemplation about his late mother and the joy they could experience together in this wonderful dance in the mist. This sadness had evidently reached the mistress as she floated down and wrapped her snake form around his body, coiling and whispering sweet nothings into his ear with a serene smile on her face. Though, Naruto subconsciously thought that the way her nail-bearing hands gripped his head carried a demanding feeling, cold and ruthless. In that moment Naruto felt blood at his fingertips.

"What's got you so happy hm?" Kuvira's question prompted the boy to stop twirling and lower his arms, looking to the girls as they seemed to be laughing at him slightly. He furrowed his brow out of annoyance that they were laughing at him, before walking towards them.

"You guys'll think I'm crazy." He declared, stepping past them and taking the lead towards the ferry that would take them to Republic City and off of the island. Korra raised her brow, striding forward and looking at him from his left and Kuvira strode forward to his right.

"Come on Naruto, you're already crazy to me. Can't get much worse." Korra's joke was followed by a laugh from the two girls, though Naruto only groaned, shaking his head.

"Gah, whatever I'll tell you. There's a lady in the air." Naruto's statement was followed by the boy raising his hand towards the air, tendrils of water wrapping around his palm as he did so. Korra and Kuvira looked at him, then to each other, before laughing again.

"Oh come on Naruto, seriously? A lady in the air huh? Ooookay." Naruto looked at Korra with an annoyed look, dropping his arm and subsequently splashing the water at his feet.

"Whatever. She's there for me and she gives me her water, makes me happy. That's all that matters to me." His chest swelled and a small smile stretched across his face as he said this, looking up as his self-assurance was doubly assured by the mistress as she floated with the group above them.

"You know, I don't think he's so crazy. I mean, maybe there's something to it." Kuvira offered, seeing the way Naruto seemed to wholly believe in what he was saying. Korra stopped her laughing, looking at Kuvira and then to Naruto, spying the way he was looking at something in the air.

"Well, if there's a lady in the air like you say so, what's she look like?" Korra asked, the group approaching the ferry and getting on. Naruto looked up, his eyes trailing every detail of the mistress' face and trying to put it to perfect memory. He grinned.

"Ohhhhh she's… she's…" Naruto struggled to find words as he continued to look at the mistress as she floated around in lazy circles in the air above him, smiling at him as she did so. The duo beside him looked at him and then to where he was staring, but found they could not see anything. "She's beautiful. She's the epitome of gorgeous. Words don't do her justice." Korra and Kuvira felt a little disturbed at the reverence Naruto was showing, and the way he was describing this weird woman in the wind. Regardless, they just shook their heads and strode forward onto the ferry ahead of him, turning around to prompt him on with smiles.

* * *

Tenzin sighed, rubbing his forehead as he leaned over his desk at the council meeting, thoroughly wishing he wasn't there. Though, directly across in front of him, Tarrlok grinned as he stood up, gesturing wide with his arms to the entire room, as devoid of people it was. Besides a few onlookers standing a good distance away from the round table, the room only consisted of the representatives.

"Well, let's get this meeting started. We've got a few things on the list today, but we'll start with… let's see here, ah yes, we'll start with Suyin Beifong and her concerns about her dance. The floor's your's, Suyin." Tarrlok's charisma carried throughout the room, prompting Suyin to step forward despite the brief glare she shared with her sister as she did so.

"Thank you for having me today. I came here looking to settle a dispute between myself and the police force of Republic City. To begin," Tenzin only sighed, resigning himself to at least paying attention to what Suyin had to say while he waited for Tarrlok's move.

* * *

Naruto grinned, the sun of Republic City gleaming between the towering marvels of man as the group walked forward, Naruto taking up the rear with his arms behind his head. The group really had no plans, seeing as their leave of the island had been a random occurrence as far as they knew, so they were just wandering the city, enthralled by its views and attractions. As he looked about his surroundings, watching the satomobiles drive by, and was suddenly struck by a brilliant plan.

"Let's swing on by Ichiraku's for some lunch. Oooohhhh I can't wait to show Akame my waterbending! Heheh, she'll be so jealous! Teuchi'll probably want me to get a job there." Naruto jogged forward with a cheeky, excited grin, turning around to look at the girls for confirmation. Korra's brow rose as she placed her hands on her hips, staring at him with annoyance gleaming through her eyes.

"Oh come on Naruto, there's so much more we can see in Republic City! We've already been to Ichiraku's before, why don't we try another restaurant?" Naruto's face faulted as an eternal dread filled his system, staring at Korra with teary eyes.

"What!? What do you mean try another restaurant!? We've only gone there once! Once! One time doesn't make up for 10 years!" Naruto began to feel legitimately angry as she shouted at Korra, though the red hair bobbing forward behind her pulled his attention immediately, prompting Korra and Kuvira to turn as he looked past them.

"Heheh, I remember Ichiraku Ramen. Such a shame they were bought out. Really, a shame." The man, or Kurama as Kuvira knew him, strode forward with a smile, brushing past Korra and Kuvira and striding up to Naruto, placing his hand on his shoulder with a hearty shake. The group just continued to look up at him, Naruto in fear, Korra in annoyance and irritation, and Kuvira in a observant silence. The man took notice, smiling as he looked between the three.

"What? Something on my face? No? Hmm," the man stroked his chin comically, grinning with an ever present malicious tint, before snapping his fingers and smirking. "I've got it, you guys don't know my name huh? Well, the dancer here does, but you two don't. Well, then allow me to introduce myself," the man did a dramatic, deep bow, the black suit he was wearing stretching slightly as he did so, before rising up with a smirk, "Name's Kurama." He finished with a salute, giving the group a good look at the white gloves on his hands.

Naruto gulped, shaking as the man turned away from the girl's to look at him again, his eyes narrowing in thought. Naruto decided he'd be a little brave, after all, he had the mistress now.

"U-uhm… What're you doing here?" Kurama grinned at his question, his eyes gaining an energy to them that Naruto couldn't recognize.

"Well, I'm on my way to the Council. They've got a meeting, and I'm curious to know what's it about." Kuvira stepped forward as he finished, narrowing her eyes at him.

"That meeting is restricted. They won't let you in." At her defiant statement, the man turned and looked over his shoulder, before turning fully around and grinning at her with a look that spelt out for everyone to see that he had already won, a look of victory. Arrogance. Kuvira grit her teeth at that look.

"Heh, good one. They won't let me in, HA!" The man looked up, slapping his knee, before dropping the smile and staring at Kuvira for a brief moment, before smirking. "I've got the key. I mean, who's building do you think they're using? A government one? Really?" The way he said it made fun of the group, before he laughed openly, looking up and wiping a tear dramatically. "Good guess. But this is Republic City. Which means that's my building." The man finished with a serious tone, before turning around and widening his eyes, stepping in front of Naruto and crouching, holding his arm out.

A scooter rammed into his arm, but instead of snapping it, the scooter crumpled like a piece of paper and the person on it went flying forward into the arms of Kuvira, who reacted quickly enough to support their weight. Kurama growled, standing up and dislodging his hand from the now totalled scooter and snarling at the way his glove was torn and stained with oil.

"Great. Uglh. Clean this shit up." Kurama shouted, and Naruto went to do so, but Kurama pulled him back, pointing at 3 men that rushed forward and pulled the scooter away quickly. They had appeared from seemingly nowhere, and Kurama grinned, leaning down to whisper in Naruto's ear, "People really are pathetic aren't they? Flash a little power and they'll do whatever you want." He finished with a hearty rub of Naruto's shoulder before striding forward away from the group, saluting without looking at them. Naruto watched him leave and tried to rest his beating heart.

"Gah sorry! I didn't see you guys." A feminine voice pulled Naruto from his staring, prompting the boy to turn around and watch as the rider pulled off their helmet, ebony hair trailing it in a wave that lead to a pale faced girl who looked forward with worry, turning around to look at Kuvira.

"Thank you for catching me. I didn't think he'd…" The girl trailed off as she turned around to notice that both the man she had hit and her scooter were gone. "Wha- MY BIKE!" The girl screamed, rushing forward with an angry snarl and looking all around for the man she had hit, but finding no one except Naruto. Reacting in her anger, she latched onto Naruto and began to shake him vigorously.

"Where's my bike?" She growled at him, getting real close to his face and glaring at him. Naruto began to sweat, stammering for an answer until Korra stepped forward and pulled Naruto out of the girl's arms.

"Alright alright alright that's enough! Naruto here did nothing, the man you hit walked away and your bike is… I don't know where your bike is." Korra finished weakly, scratching her face in embarrassment. Her words did seem to at least calm the girl somewhat, though she was clearly still irritated.

"Gahhhhh… it's fine. My dad'll just give me a new one." The girl looked down, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she groaned, before looking up and smiling. "Well, guess there's nothing I'll be doing today. I'm Asami Sato, you guys?" She offered her hand forward, and Korra took it with a hearty grip and a grin.

"Korra. Nice to meet you!" Asami smiled, nodding at Korra, and then moving towards Kuvira, who took the hand with a controlled grace and nodded slowly, smiling with a serene face and calm eyes.

"Kuvira. Pleasure." Asami smiled and nodded again, and then moved towards Naruto, who grabbed her hand and shook it slowly, still a little frazzled from what she had done to him.

"Uhhh… Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto felt his chest fill with a happy feeling of pride at his last name, and a tad bit of grief, before Asami's eyes widened and she grabbed his hand with both of hers.

"You're an Uzumaki! Wait, that means you're _the _Uzumaki aren't you! Oh you were that waterbender they talked about on the radio last night, you know, with the air and stuff!" Asami shook his hand vigorously in excitement with wide eyes. Naruto stepped back a little in surprise, before Asami realized what she was doing and had the decency to blush and release his hand, stepping back.

"Sorry sorry just… My father used to talk about this great woman he had met. Kushina Uzumaki. And then last night when practically all of the radios were talking about you well, he seemed genuinely happy. I uh, well I haven't seen him that way in a while." Asami admitted, looking at Naruto with a calm joy in her eyes.

Kuvira from her spot aside Korra watched as a gleam, one she hadn't recognized before, flashed across Naruto's eyes as Asami spoke of his mother. She could see the way his body tried to urge him forward, propel him towards stories of his mother like it had before, but he stopped himself. The boy closed his eyes briefly, before opening them with a smile, waving his hand in a gesture to say that everything was fine.

"Ah don't worry, just part of the charm that is Naruto Uzumaki." The boy offered, snapping his finger towards Asami and grinning, his teeth glinting in the sun. Korra burst out laughing, slapping her knee.

"Hahaheh… Charm." She muttered through the last vestiges of her laugh as she wiped a tear from her eye.

* * *

Kurama's violet eyes gleamed as he strode forward through the rather empty hall, grinning confidently as he watched the meeting take place. Chief Beifong was there, and from what Kurama knew, which was a lot, she was trying to ensure that there was police protection at her sister's dance. Reasonable enough. If the other Beifong wasn't blinded by what she was trying to do she'd be able to see the care behind it. But alas, showing the world the peace it desperately wanted to believe was perfect was more important to Suyin. Kurama only chuckled, announcing his presence with said chuckle as she strode forward, patting Lin's shoulder and keeping it around them as she grinned at the Councilors.

"Ahhhh come on Lin, police don't needa' be there." The Chief of police withdrew from his arms quickly, backstepping and preparing to launch her cords towards him, but Kurama only turned and looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "Try it. Please. _Please_ try it." He goated seriously, his voice losing that joyous tone it always seemed to have. For her part, Lin managed to hide the way her spine shook and her body shivered at his words, before standing up stiffly and returning to her spot beside Suyin. Kurama only grinned at her, returning his attention to a now tense and stiff group of Councilors.

"I will be attending the dance. With my attendance comes my protection, you all know that." Kurama grinned, gesturing around the room and finishing as he stared at Lin, "So there really doesn't need to be any police there. The concern is always appreciated, Lin, but it ain't needed. I got this one." Lin's jaw flexed at his words, glaring at him.

"We cannot put the safety of the Zaofu Dancers within the hands of a… beast such as yourself." Lin growled, and Suyin glanced at her sister briefly before returning her attention to the man she faintly remembered, who only grinned, looking at Lin.

"Well, it'll be in my hands regardless. You all have an Equalist problem, yeah?" Kurama turned around as he asked the question, before staring at Tarrlok, "Putting together a little task force, heh?" He did a little jazz hands gesture as he mentioned the task force, grinning when Tarrlok glared. "But, you've got a problem and a venue to pursue its solution, but but but, you _don't _have a starting line, now do you? Hmm?" Kurama grinned as he turned, and then stopped as Tarrlok stood up quickly.

"We have identified confirmed Equalists members and sympathizers within Republic City and we plan to act accordingly." He grinned as he finished, though it dropped when Kurama's grin didn't falter, in fact it stretched.

"Really? Good for you, you're making some progress." Kurama clapped sarcastically, and then suddenly dropping his act and dropping the bomb. "Who's Amon." The room remained silent, and Tarrlok grit his teeth, prompting Kurama to smirk. "See what I mean? Sure, you can catch your little sympathizers and grunts, but they'll only turn to martyrs. It'll rally the people to the Equalist cause and become a bigger problem than you want. The man you want is Amon. Real sneaky, _sneaky _son of a bitch." Kurama literally growled as he finished that statement, glaring at nothing.

"And how exactly is this relevant to the Dance?" Tenzin asked, trying to make progress in this already far too long meeting. Kurama looked up at him from his aimless glaring, narrowing his eyes.

"You stupid?" He asked, prompting Tenzin to stand up angrily with a flustered face, but Kurama did not allow him to speak. "You must be. What'd you think Chief Beifong wanted protection from at an _all bender, for benders by bender, peace through bending dance? _Some thugs? Maybe a gunman? Use that massive head of your's, Tenny, if not for your sake or even Republic City's sake, for Korra's sake." Tenzin stopped fuming as Korra came up, and suddenly he narrowed his eyes in deep, deep concern.

"Korra? Who's that? And, why would you care about them anyway?" Tenzin asked as he sat down, lacing his fingers over his face as he stared intently at Kurama, who looked incredibly annoyed.

"For fuck's sake Tenzin did you not think I wouldn't notice when the Avatar enters my city? Seriously? And, no, I don't give a shit about the girl. Or about the dance or the Equalists or any of this crap." Kurama threw his arms up, before looking up with dangerously intent eyes, "I care about my family." Kurama finished, his voice deep and serious. Tenzin's eyes narrowed some more.

"Naruto is out of your jurisdiction. You were and still are not to engage the boy in any of your… grossly vile activities." Lin stepped forward, glaring as Kurama turned around with an arched brow, before he too glared, though his glare made Lin step back slightly.

"Out of my _jurisdiction? _He's my fucking family. Oh, shit, sorry I forgot that the Beifong's aren't exactly a brilliant example of how to treat family. But we Uzuamki, ohoho nothing matters more to an Uzumaki than an Uzumaki. I'd throw away _everything _I've built up in Republic City if it meant the boy got to live another hour." The tone of Kurama's voice was of complete seriousness, and the jab at Lin and Suyin hit deep, as did his sheer dedication to the rest of the room.

"If you cared so much about the boy, why was he allowed to wander Republic City alone and scared for a year? As a child no less." Lin challenged, despite the shaking of her frame. Kurama openly glared at her once more, deeply pissed at this point.

"It was Kushina who asked that I leave the boy out of what I do. So I didn't involve myself with him directly. But, I did more for him than _any _of you did. I guarantee it. What'd you do, watch him and make sure he didn't get in trouble? What about food, money, clothes? Hmm? What, did you all honestly think he continued getting lucky and waking up to those? I'm done. I'm leaving. There's no need to send police to the dance, and if I see you there Lin," Kurama passed by her, his eyes glowing dangerously as he shoved past her, causing the Chief to fall over onto her back, looking up at him in fear.

"Well, you get the point."

* * *

_Okay, now that this chapter is done, I'm sure a lot of you will notice how open ended and abrupt the end to Naruto and group's day out was. This is because I am unsure of what to do with Asami. I know quite a few of you wanted to include her into the pairing, but quite a few of you have also stated you're fine with the current pairing. To reiterate, that is Naruto x Kuvira x Korra. So I'm taking a vote. Just review on this chapter with your vote, and one vote per person please. Please do vote, because there are many different avenues I could take this next chapter. Thank you._


	9. Chapter 9

_Alright, first things first. The vote. I think the outcome can be stated in an excerpt from perhaps the quintessential opinion from the reviews: "_As for the pairing, you've already got 2 girls in it. My vote is for you to add a third cause why not. Plus Asami's hot." _-Guest. This pretty much sums up the majority of the reviews, except for a single review at the time of writing this chapter that said no to Asami's inclusion. I'm cool with that, some plans I had going forward will actually work a little better now, and it'll be interesting to see where my mind will take this story, as I truly up to this point hadn't been thinking of Asami in the story and its progression pretty much at all. _

_There is one particular review I would like to address, and it is because I believe it is a misunderstanding that came about as a failure on my part as the author. _

"_why is naruto so scared of kurama specifically?_

_what did he do to him?_

_THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!"_

_I would first like to point out that this response is not in any way negative towards the reviewer, and I simply wanted to address it, so don't feel bad or anything like that._

_I am… unsure of where to take Kurama. But I do not see Kurama as a main antagonist, nor do I see him as anything more than a supporting character. He presents an interesting juxtaposition to Naruto as an Uzumaki, as well as a brutal but very efficient ally to have. He will be involved with the story rather extensively, and conflict will arise. (Let's be real, Naruto wouldn't be okay with someone who goes around snapping people's spines, even if they are his family.) _

_Kurama has not done __**anything **__to Naruto. At this point in the story, Naruto and the main group around him (Korra, Kuvira, Mako, Bolin, Asami) do not know that Kurama is his family, and Naruto is extremely anxious and afraid of Kurama because of the information and stories that make up Kurama's image like a myth in Republic City. Kurama is also deeply tied to Naruto's inner conflict with the smile, because Naruto feels he is allowing himself to sink far further than he normally would (such as literally going into __**the **__opium/information hub of Republic City), and Kurama is a physical symbol of this. In Naruto's mind, his association to Kurama is an affront to everything he believes himself to be, and everything he believes his parents want him to be, so he is naturally extremely nervous around Kurama for these reasons._

_Kurama, on the other hand, is an extremely complicated and interesting character complete with his own trials and tribulations, as long gone as they are. I won't go into it here, but what I will say is that, as the author, Kurama is my personal favorite character in this story, and unfortunately if you do not like his character I am sorry but he will be making appearances often._

_Again, I feel that this was not made clear enough and I view that as a personal weakness as an author, so that is why I am addressing this._

* * *

"_If you take too long, she will take more than she gives." -Kurama_

Kurama growled lowly to himself as he exited the meeting hall, staring at the skyline of Republic City, before reaching into his pocket and grabbing a lighter as well as a thin, white cigarette labelled "menthol". Growling even as he placed it in his mouth, Kurama flipped open his lighter with a loud 'clunk' and lit the cigarette, closing the metal lighter with an equally loud noise and striding forward as smoke billowed up ever slowly from the end of the cigarette.

He could feel lava running through his ways, fire spewing forth from each breath even as he tried to quell it with the menthol. His body _burned, _and he found it impossible to not glare and grunt through breaths as he strode forward, his mind ping-ponging between trying to calm himself and trying to not go back and end the police chief for her words.

The actions Kurama took, the writhing and vile acts he commited, were all for those he cared about. And Kurama cared about no one more than an Uzumaki, as little as he had been with the boy. He grit his teeth, the cigarette crumbling as it flopped over on the side of his mouth, though he just spit it out angrily as he stomped forward, a wide area being cleared around him as his aura spoke of death and suffering for those that bothered him.

For that woman to even insinuate that he had not done whatever he could, ohhhhh how he wanted to kill her. But he held back. Because she had helped the boy, and inadvertently brought Naruto into Kurama's territory. Kurama still felt the pride swell within his chest as he remembered handing the boy _everything _on the man that had… butchered his beloved Kushina.

Kurama's eyes glowed dangerously orange as he strode forward, his thoughts swinging like a pendulum into the domain in which a blonde, blue eyed man resided.

Oh how he hated Minato. That pathetic, worthless, egotistical, arrogant, idiotic, agGHHG- Kurama had to restrain himself from exploding. It didn't matter anymore. Minato had done two things that made Kurama happy. He had made Kushina happy, and he had given the world Naruto. The thought of Naruto calmed Kurama as he continued to walk through Republic City, merely wandering in his thought.

He knew it would be bad to 'teach' the boy to do what he did. Even if it was in the boy's best interests, it would betray Kushina. And Kurama would never do such a thing. Ever. Uzumaki's did not betray each other. It was simply impossible. But, he would nurrish the boy. Help him. Guide him, even if passively. And, Kurama decided, even provide his protection to those the boy cherished. The boy had seen too much pain, and that thought burned Kurama's eyes until they dripped water to calm it.

A man suddenly dropped down from a roof in front of Kurama, staring at him with intent eyes.

"Out with it." Kurama growled, in a thoroughly bad mood. The man merely nodded at him.

"Zolt's made a move. Unconfirmed damages." Kurama growled, his eyes narrowing as a grin stretched across his face. Ah, stress relief came in many forms.

"Where." The man didn't reply, simply jumping up onto the roof accompanied by a grinning Kurama as they sprinted towards the location. Arriving, Kurama stopped grinning, and glared from the rooftop even as a young boy dressed in fancy clothing spotted him, dropping the body of one of Kurama's men, clearly dead if the charred flesh and dried blood all over the empty street was an indication.

"Ahahaha… here comes the man himself now. 'King Kurama' eh? You look like a bitch." Kurama growled, dropping down into the street and waving off the men that had gathered around him to help, the men instantly vanishing. The boy grinned, striding forward and snarling at Kurama. Kurama looked down at the body at his feet, and his face became shadowed by his hair and he crouched down slowly, turning it over and lightly cascading his hand across the singed flesh of the man's cheek. The boy laughed.

"Upset eh? They all went out like pussies. Shitty group you've got if they can be killed by a 15 year old. But then again, I'm not just any 15 year old. I'm Lightning Bolt Volt! And my lightning's even stronger than my father's!" Volt proclaimed, though he growled when Kurama ignored him, reaching onto the necklace on the body and snapping it off, rising up and allowing one eye to peek past the shadow of his hair.

"Ah, Zolt's kid huh? Heh, knew he'd be too smart to pull some shit like this." Kurama raised the necklace and looked at it with a reverant eye, cherishing it with his motions. He read the name and his eyes hardened. '_Louis'. _"You know, Lou here," Kurama tied the dog tag around his neck and tightened it, running his hand through his hair and glaring dangerously at Volt, who backed up slightly. "Lou's got two kids. Dead mother. Been in the game for a year now. Just to make sure his kids get food on the table and pencils for school. I've been paying him extra too, hell, even babysat his kids once. But you," Kurama started to stride forward, and Volt backed up, though suddenly readied himself with a shaky grin, prompting Kurama's eyes to flash alive.

"You didn't think about all that did you? Because you wouldn't know. You'd have no way of knowing who to… compensate. Who to… take care of." Kurama continued to stride towards Volt with a murderous gleam in his eye. "You know, Republic City has been my city for nearly 30 years now. And you know what? You know what?" Kurama began to grin manically, his eyes flashing with a brief insanity.

"HehehehHAHAHAHA! YOU KNOW WHAT!?" Kurama screamed at Volt, laughing outloud in an insane way. "I killed your mother kid." Kurama suddenly stopped laughing with a deadpan, standing a few feet away from Volt and staring without emotion into the young man's eyes. "It was quick. Painless. She had," Kurama grinned as he saw the anger and grief on Volt's face, "Scarlet eyes. I remember. Fine ass too." Kurama's canine sparkled in the sun as he stretched the left side of his face upwards into a snarling grin, staring at Volt in an almost euphoric aggression.

" But, but but but, that's not the funny part. You see, the funny part is," Kurama looked up, his eyes shadowed as they glowed, "I'm the only reason you're still alive. Zolt was a deadbeat back then. Had no job. I compensated him for a year until he got his shit together. But, none of that matters now. None of it. Because you, you didn't know. And you didn't care. So now," Kurama's fists gained an orange tint to them as he smashed them together in front of him, grinning. "I get to kill you too."

Volt growled, glaring at Kurama with a new form of seething hatred as he put his palm outward, streaks of lightning flashing between his thumb and fingers, before he pointed at Kurama.

"Kill him." As he finished, lightning flew out from his hand towards Kurama. A brilliant wave of light and heat, fully capable of killing someone at first touch. Like it had to Louis. Volt grinned when he saw the attack connected, but suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth dropped as Kurama's smiling face revealed itself despite the electricity sparking about his body. He strode forward, each step weighty as his whole body leaned into them.

"What? Thought that'd kill me?" The way Kurama's eyes were continuously lit up and then shadowed by the electricity sparking around his body drove a spear of very real, very crushing fear into Volt's chest.

"Heh. That's a good joke. You're half right at least. It _will _kill something. But, well, it's you." Kurama extended his fingers outward, and the lightning that had been trailing all around his body unleashed in an even larger wave than it had when it left Volt's hand. And when it connected, a web of electricity formed around a laughing Kurama as the bodies of Volt and his goons burned and charred, smoke billowing in the air as Kurama's eyes spasmed from the strength of his laughs. All the while, the mistress watched.

* * *

Naruto walked slowly behind the group of girls as they strode forward ahead of him, watching their backs with jaded eyes as he meandered with them, a small distance having formed between them. His mind was running in a single direction, a sprint forward, as he watched their feet from his position behind them.

He was tired. Fed up. His life since coming to Republic City had been so enriched, so filled with new and old things in a wonderful mix of nostalgia and excitement. But, this was on a surface level. Deep within himself, Naruto was becoming aware of a toxic brew ready to spill forward from his mouth and raise into the air, raining down its acidic waters upon himself and the people around him.

Naruto no longer found himself seeing the smile wherever he looked, and for this he was grateful. Not because he viewed the delusions as a problem, but rather, when he _did _see the smile now, this mixture tried to surge upwards through his chest to melt the smile and turn it to a liquidy, steaming pile of flesh and bone. His blood churned into lava as it ran its course through his veins, and his heart no longer pumped on its own, instead fueled by the hand of Lucifer as it gripped his heart during these moments.

Anger had become a mainstay where it had previously been a novel thought, like the rarely passing holiday. Monday became Anger, Tuesday became Anger, Wednesday became Anger, Thursday was a day of relief, Friday became Anger, Saturday became Anger, and Sunday became a boiling point in which Naruto would spend his nights furiously looking over everything he had gathered only to find that there was nothing new. Nothing.

Naruto knew within himself that what was really beginning to be the cause of this seething anger was that he could do nothing about that dreadful smile that haunted his mind.

That monster had escaped to the North Pole. Naruto knew where he was. _Who _he was. Naruto would not disgrace himself with thinking of the name. Because it did not matter. He knew where he was. But, Naruto could not go there. Not yet. There was too much to worry about, too much to attend to in Republic City. And it burned his skin and freezed his eyes artic to think about.

His heart pounded with the desire to leave, his hands shook with the desire to tear, and his eyes pulsed with the desire to watch a waterfall of blood. But, his mind restrained his desires and turned them inward, upon himself.

He was angry at both himself and that man. Beyond angry. He had Korra. He had Kuvira. He had Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Meelo, Ikki. He had Mako, Bolin, and maybe Asami too. He had the Ichirakus. And, yet he could not stop his desire to disgrace himself and lose everything that made him, him? Despite all of these thoughts, all of these reasons to stop himself and live happily ignoring the presence of a monster within the world, Naruto could not stop himself. His body _yearned _for the feeling of that man's blood cascading down his skin, it _screamed _for the feeling of his hands tearing into his stomach and pulling everything out. And he could not fool himself into thinking that the excitement in his chest was about whatever new technique Korra could learn or funny joke Meelo could tell.

He was so tired of it all. He needed a release. This aggression, this buildup, it was crushing his chest. And he needed an out. But for now, the girls were looking at him.

"Hmm?"

"We saaaaid, do you wanna get some food?" Korra told him in an annoyed tone, crossing her arms and leaning her head to one side as she tapped her foot, waiting for his answer.

"Oh… sure." Korra groaned at his answer, stepping forward and pulling him towards the girls and threw an arm around his shoulder, leaning into his personal space despite their height difference.

"What's up with you today huh? You should be happy, we're off that island! We're out exploring the city! Plus, Asami's just offered us food. Free food! Come on, cheer up!" Korra beamed at him as she finished, gesturing out to the open expanse of city behind her as she did so. Naruto looked at her, the squint of her smile and the way her teeth gleamed in the light, and found relief drip into his chest. This drip doubled when Kuvira stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder with a small smirk. Asami watched awkwardly, though she smiled in what she hoped was a comforting manner.

Naruto smiled and looked up at the sun. The mistress had vanished, but he did not need her right now, he decided. He had everything he needed. A small part of him told himself he was lying as a brief flash of a smile sparked through his mind.

"Alright alright alright, you've got me. I'll cheer up. Where're we goin anyway?" Naruto asked with a smile, looking to Asami as Korra untangled herself from around his shoulder and Kuvira stepped forward to be at his side.

"Oh just this restaurant me and my dad go to occasionally, pretty good food I'll say. It's just down that way." Asami pointed behind her over her shoulder, and Naruto grinned at her, stepping forward and taking the lead, putting his arms behind his head.

"Alright!" Naruto shouted out, grinning cheekily as the group walked, grinning as he looked at the people that passed by. He then dropped his arms and looked to Asami on his left.

"So uh," he leaned in closer to her in an overdramatic whisper, wiggling his eyebrows as he looked at Korra and Kuvira quickly before leaning back over to whisper, "Korra said this would be free…?" Asami giggled as he said that, though he was more serious than she probably thought he was. Korra and Kuvira looked over, and just shook their heads before returning to talks of sparring and airbending. Asami settled down and looked into Naruto's eyes with an amused smirk.

"But of course, a woman pays for her guests, no?" She whispered back at him with a tone of humor, and Naruto bit his lip, looking up in thought.

"I hope so, we uh, well me and Korra don't have jobs and I kinda don't want to make Kuvira pay." Naruto explained sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. He had missed the humor in her reply, but Asami chalked that up to Naruto seriously being worried about paying, which was true. She sighed, but nonetheless returned a kind smile to the boy.

"Don't worry, I really will pay for it. Money's not an issue." She explained, and watched as Naruto nodded in a relieved way, looking forward and bobbing his head side to side in thought. "Though, why don't you and Korra have jobs? I thought for sure you'd have at least pro-bending for money, right?" Naruto looked at her with wide eyes, before settling them and looking forward.

"Ehhhh… it's complicated. I was only playing in that game because of an injury to their waterbender. Korra took my spot actually, but I don't think she plans on taking the money for the games. Her teammates, Bolin and Mako, need the money more than we do. Korra's uh… a complicated topic." Naruto offered, though Asami giggled when Korra leaned forward and looked at Naruto quizzically through the corner of her eye.

"Are you bad mouthing me?" Korra stated slowly, her tone low and intimidating. Naruto sweat quickly, whipping his hands up in a placating motion.

"No no no no, Asami asked why we don't have jobs. I was worried about her paying for all of us." Korra nodded, grinning at him cheekily.

"Oh I know, I heard everything. I just like messing with you." Asami laughed as Naruto face faulted, and Kuvira chuckled lowly in amusement. As the smiles and small chuckles faded, a thought occurred to Kuvira, the girl turning to Asami with curiosity in her eyes.

"The restaurant we're going to wouldn't happen to be The Tairitsu would it?" Kuvira asked, and Asami turned to her with raised brows while Naruto and Korra watched, mouths open in curiosity.

"It is! How'd you know!?" The excitement in Asami's face made Naruto smile while Kuvira smiled lightly for another reason.

"Suyin and Baatar Jr. will be headed there soon. Maybe we'll get to see them." Kuvira explained, thinking fondly of practically her family. Asami looked confused, and Kuvira elaborated kindly. "Suyin's practically my mother, and she's the leader of Zaofu." Asami smiled in response, turning back to the path they were walking, but Naruto strode on over to Kuvira with his lips puckered out in a questioning look.

"Who's Baatar Jr.?" He asked slowly, narrowing his eyes comically at Kuvira to distract himself from the way his chest passively bubbled every few seconds as he forced down his writhing anger. Kuvira looked at him with a brow raised, before smirking.

"Ah don't worry, he won't cause too much trouble. He's Suyin's son, a realllll… quiet type. I've known him since we were kids. Good guy, a smart one too." Kuvira offered, looking back to Naruto as he digested what she said. He grinned at her and squinted his eyes in a cheeky manner.

"You like him don't you." He whispered at her, and Kuvira, instead of blushing or even laughing, groaned and then shoved Naruto roughly as she rolled her eyes.

"Gahhhh no. Baatar's been trying to make not-so-subtle moves at me for a little while now and it's just… awkward. He's practically a brother to me, and that'd just be weird. It's pretty annoying, and even Suyin has started to feel bad for me, and he's her son!" Kuvira's groans of annoyance sparked a little drip of relief into Naruto's chest for a brief moment before it evaporated in the magma that was the anger sitting in his gut. He looked at her, nodding, before smiling.

"We'll get along great."

* * *

_That's the end of the story, but I just wanted to update everyone on the story briefly. I am editing chapter 1 and 2 to put them together into 1 chapter because I feel they are too short, so if you notice a discrepancy in the chapter numbers that is why. Hope you enjoy the chapter, and make sure to review, thanks_


	10. Chapter 10

_No reviews to attend to today, so all that means is review more damnit! _

_On a serious note though, due to my combining of chapter 1 and chapter 2 into one chapter, I am worried that a few readers may not have seen the new chapter I posted before this one. I had modified chapters before in other stories and the readers of those had reported that they did not see or know that a new chapter was posted so, here's the warning._

_**A NEW CHAPTER WAS POSTED BEFORE THIS ONE, CHECK IT IF YOU ARE NOT SURE YOU READ IT.**_

_Now that that's out of the way, I have one more thing to address._

_I am unsure of how to phrase this, so bear with me. The majority of stories I read on this site, and not particularly pertaining to this subject of story, exhibit what I see as, for lack of a better phrasing, an us/them type of story or feeling around them. For this story that may be Naruto/Reader and Everyone else. I don't want this story to feel that way for a few reasons._

_This story's Naruto is not __**particularly **__unique. As in, practically god if he comes from his own universe. This is not that Naruto. The next reason is that I want this story to focus more on 'The Group' or rather, Naruto, Asami, Korra, and Kuvira. I don't want the story's focus to be on Naruto. This goes back to the us/them feeling I was talking about. _

_But what does this all mean in the long run? Simple. I am going to try to maintain a more group focused writing style, as in, each character's thoughts will be explored more. Think for example the Kurama sections vs the Naruto sections. This does __**not **__mean that less focus will be given to Naruto, but rather, __**more **__focus will be given to the other characters in order to bring them up to similar if not the same level of focus._

_This, in my opinion, will hopefully make the story feel less focused on Naruto and eliminate that us/them feeling I was talking about. Again, if that doesn't make sense, the TL:DR is basically that the story will (hopefully if I stay consistent) focus more on the group rather than Naruto._

_If you've got questions or concerns, review or PM so that I may address them. PM's will be ideal for questions and concerns._

_Let's move on._

* * *

"_That __**man **__is allowed to walk about Republic City like a coyote because his monstrous strength isn't his strong suit. The man's a practical genius, good with people. Knows what to look for. He's been covering his shit up for decades, and not a __**single **__damn lackey of his is willing to testify against him. Not even out of fear,"_

"_He just instills loyalty like I've never seen." -Lin Beifong to Suyin Beifong._

Kurama grimaced as he pulled off the barely-there jacket from Volt's dead body, the piece of cloth disintegrating into ash at his touch until all that remained was a tiny piece of the cloth. As men swarmed around the clearing and cleaned everything up at a rapid pace, Kurama inspected the cloth with a bored eye.

It wasn't anything special, considering the boy was wearing a replica of his father's suit built of worse materials, but it _did _mean something to Kurama as he grinned, tucking in the cloth in the collar of his suit, proudly allowing the pendant he had taken from Louis' dead body to gleam atop the cloth like a pedestal. At least he could bring something home to those kids. Lucy and Luke would be devastated, and Kurama wasn't looking forward to seeing them wander the streets.

"Everything's cleaned up sir. Should we send word to the Triad?" One of Kurama's men questioned as he stood beside the man, staring down at the very few remaining pieces of ash as they waved about slightly on Kurama's palm. Kurama stared at the ashes, his eyes hardening.

"No. Zolt probably already knows. But, call for a meeting. The little boys need to know they aren't allowed to even look at Naruto. I'll tear down this whole city if they touch him." Kurama ordered, his eyes maintaining their steel quality as he thumbed the ashes softly. The man nodded, despite the murderous aura around Kurama. He'd been around it for over 5 years, he was used to it.

"Everyone? Including the Rays?" He questioned, and Kurama turned to look at him, dropping the ashes as a light shadow was cast over his face, though the man could still see the violet steel of his eyes.

"Everyone. The Rays, the 13's, and _especially _the Triad. If even one of them don't show up I'll end their entire operation within the hour." Kurama's growl sounded far more guttural than the man was used to, but he nearly nodded and sped off to begin organizing the meeting. It seemed King Kurama was going to exercise his right to pass laws once more.

As Kurama stood there, he felt her hands drift across his chest, tracing a little swirl mark on his shoulders as she floated away. He narrowed his eyes, glaring even as his body flared up, his skin glowing orange for a brief moment.

* * *

Naruto grinned awkwardly as he pulled lightly at the collar of his light blue shirt, looking around the fancy restaurant with nervous eyes.

"Uh-hahahuh… Asami? D-Did you mean to come here?" Naruto asked the girl, though she ignored him as a suited man stepped forwards towards there group and nodded his head in respect.

"Always a pleasure Ms. Asami. Right this way." His eyes trailed across Asami's group before turning around, his arms folding in the small of his back as he strode across the expanse of velvet floors and silky white table covers. Naruto rubbed the back of his head awkwardly as he followed the group from a medium distance behind them, grinning nervously as the clearly high-class patrons trailed his figure with narrowed eyes that spelled out their dissatisfaction with him. Coughing lightly, Naruto stumbled when he noticed that the group stopped.

"Woah…" Korra mumbled, her eyes stars as she looked at the regal purple booth lined with gold. She reached out and grasped the table cover even as Asami laughed and sat down as if she had just walked into Ichiraku. Naruto gulped, taking a seat beside Kuvira in the booth with Korra next to Kuvira and Asami across from Naruto and sitting next to Korra in the odd, semi-circle booth around the table.

"How'd you get a reservation here!?" Korra practically begged, grabbing onto Asami's shoulders and shaking her with desperation while Asami openly laughed, shaking her head and waving her hands in amusement.

"No no no, I own the restaurant." Asami stopped laughing to stare with an amused eye at the group's reactions. Korra's mouth dropped open as her eyes widened dramatically, Kuvira's brows raised but she maintained her composure, and Naruto was too busy looking around nervously.

"You OWN THIS PLACE!?" Korra screamed, and Naruto gulped and grinned shakily as the other patrons openly glared at his table. He waved, but they huffed with a haughty look and turned away from. Shaking his head, Naruto turned to the conversation and nearly chuckled at Korra's face, but the crushing aura of the restaurant was forcing his words to stay in his throat. Asami looked at Korra with a nearly annoyed look, shaking her head.

"Yesssss… You didn't catch my last name did you?" Asami asked in an annoyed tone, looking at Korra from the corner of her eye as she looked down in exasperation. Korra seemed confused.

"No…?"

"It's Sato. As in, Satomobiles? Making sense now?" Asami explained in a sarcastic tone, and Korra's face immediately flashed in realization.

"Oooohhhhhhh… yea. That makes sense." Naruto sighed and shook his head at Korra's antics, before allowing his eyes to bounce around the restaurant. Kuvira noticed, and tapped his shoulder, and he jumped a little, looking at her with wide eyes before exhaling heavily, shaking his head.

"GAH! Guh… geez… Kuvira you gotta… you gotta be careful. Whew." Naruto breathed out, chuckling at her to cover up how nervous he was. Everyone noticed though.

"What's wrong Naruto?" Asami asked, her brows scrunching up slightly in concern. Naruto looked at her, and then to Korra, before sighing and shaking his head.

"Nothing just… I've never been in a fancy place like this. I'm just a lil' nervous is all." Naruto told them, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward grin. Asami chuckled, Kuvira nodded, and Korra looked down in an exasperated manner.

"Oh come onnn! I haven't been in here either but, just look at this place! It's great!" Korra exclaimed, waving her hands around the group and towards the grand restaurant they were seated in. Naruto followed, looking around, and found that his nervousness did get relieved slightly as he genuinely took in the grandeur of the place.

"See? There's nothing to worry about, we've even got the owner sitting right next to us! We're fine. We're better than fine, we're great!" Korra's exclamation was followed up with a grand gesture of her hands, and Naruto found himself smiling despite the nervousness in his chest that was slowly being eaten by the poison beneath it.

"Alright alright alright I get it. I get it. What kinda food they got here anyway?"

* * *

Kurama stared at the small room from his chair, left leg crossed over the right one as he lounged in a leisurely fashion, inspecting the blackened areas underneath his nails. He flicked a piece of ash off of his index and watched as 3 men entered the room.

The first was a very clearly angry Zolt, but Kurama's eyes flashed joyously as he watched the man physically restrict himself from lashing out at the man sitting in the chair. Kurama's grin appeared, his eyes following Zolt as the man sat down, glaring at Kurama while his body sat in a respectful position. The other two men, one with vibrant green hair and black eyes, and another with simple brunette hair and glasses, sat down in the other two chairs. The men formed a diamond within the room, and Kurama's eyes flashed as he sat his leg down and leaned forward, linking his fingers together and staring at the men.

"You've called us here. What for." The man to his left, the brunette in glasses, stared stoically at Kurama and pushed up his glasses, sitting upwards in a rigid form. Kurama's eyes flashed over to him, and his grin stretched a slight bit at the way he could see a shiver run through the man's form.

"I've called you three here, Omen, because I have to lay down a new law." Kurama hid the smile on his face as the green haired man groaned, sitting back lazily in his chair and glaring at Kurama.

"Fuck you and fuck your rules Kurama. I'm gonna take this fucking city from you one day you old fuck." The man's confident tone made Kurama's eyes sparkle with euphoria.

"That'd be a cold day in hell, Ryu. Say some shit like that again and I'll cut your family tree down." Kurama growled, staring directly into Ryu's eyes and grinning maliciously as the younger man jumped up out of his seat and put his arms in front of him defensively. "Yea, hehehehhhh, I'd _love _to see you 'take this fucking city' from me when I can get you shaking by looking at you. Pussy." Ryu huffed, sitting down quickly and glaring as his face reddened slightly. Zolt's face had become stone as he stared at Kurama.

"What is this about. I have… a funeral to plan." Kurama's grin lowered at the physical pain heard from Zolt's voice. Kurama stared directly into the man's eyes and just looked into them. The myriad of emotions, both aggressive and depressing, intoxicated Kurama.

"The boy did it to himself Zolt. Killed my men. I wasn't going to-" "Shut up. You don't think I know that my own boy's an idiot! Gah just… just shut up." Zolt glared at Kurama, his throat enlarging with the force of his will restraining himself from jumping at Kurama and falling to his death. Kurama merely nodded, and then untangled his hands, leaning back in his seat.

"As I said, a new law is getting laid down today. You see, there's a boy that's just arrived to Republic City. He's," Kurama snapped his fingers and held his hand out, and immediately a painting sized portrait of Naruto was placed into it, the man holding it up for the other men to see, "Special." Kurama finished, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the men.

"The fuck's this gotta do with some pansy like him?" Ryu asked, and Kurama openly glared, snarling.

"If you speak again I'm ripping your throat out. That goes for any of you. Badmouth the boy and I end your operations in the city and build a new cemetery out of your hideouts." Kurama's glare intensified, his finger pointing at each of the three men before he settled down, breathing slightly.

"The boy's name is Naruto Uzumaki. He's," Kurama set the portrait down so that it rested on his chair, and left his hand on the painting as he stared into it, "My nephew." Kurama's eyes briefly glanced at each of the men, narrowing his eyes at the way their eyes seemed to focus up a bit more at the revelation. "So," Kurama raised his head and allowed his full aura to wash upon the men, each one of them visibly tensing and attempting to stay upright. Kurama stood, allowing the light from the room to shadow his eyes as they glowed a mix of violet and orange.

"If _anyone _in this city touches him, talks about him, looks at him, hell even if one of you three or even a grunt think about him, heheh, well…" The glow in Kurama's eyes began to glow a much more intense orange, "I'll, I'll kill. All. Of. You. You'd better prepare for war the…" Kurama breathed in as the anger from the thought of a dead Naruto flaring throughout his system, "MOMENT" Kurama grunted out weightily, his aura getting heavier, "Something happens to him. Because, Because," Kurama staggered forward, grasping at something invisible in front of him as he glared at the men, "I will be coming. And I won't stop coming until your," Kurama raised his right hand and swung it down fiercely, "ANCE-estry is erased from history." Kurama threatened, snarling at the man and gesturing his head backwards.

"Huh… huh… huh… get them out of here, before I lose my shit." Kurama mumbled breathlessly, satisfied as the practically paralyzed men were quickly grabbed by Kurama's men and ushered out of the room. Kurama shook his head, calming down his breathing with a small exercise of willpower before he caught a glimpse of Naruto's portrait.

Kurama stared at it, clasping his hands behind his back and crouching down to stare at the boy's face, narrowing his eyes. In the photo he was wearing his usual clothing. Light blue, sleeveless shirt, wolf furs at his waist that cascaded down over his thighs, and baggy, dark blue pants to finish it off excluding the boots on the boys feet. He shakily unraveled his hands and slowly reached his right hand outwards, gently cascading it down the photo until it reached the pendant that shined in the middle of Naruto's chest. _Kushina's _pendant.

Kurama restrained himself from the surge of murderous intent that very nearly boiled over. He wanted so, so, so, so, sosososososSOSOSOSOSO badly to kill that man. To punch out a space for him in a concrete wall and shove him there, forcing his own hand into that filth's chest to pull apart its ribcage and grasp _firmly _around the man's heart, pumping it with increasing force until it popped as that, that pathetic piece of dogshit, of manure, of filth, of…Kurama breathed. In his vision, that trash would watch as his heart popped in Kurama's hands, the tissue splattering across his skin as blood spewed everywhere. Kurama licked his lips as that euphoric taste of copper ghosted over his tongue.

But, he couldn't kill the man. It wasn't that he physically couldn't or that the man was hidden. He knew where the man was, as did Naruto now, but… It was not his jurisdiction. Kurama would gladly take the mantle, the responsibility, of ending whatever shriveled up, worthless excuse of a soul the man who had butchered his beloved Kushina had, but it ultimately fell to Naruto. It was Naruto's job. His glory. His… vengeance. To deny the boy his practical birthright would go against everything Kurama stood for. What he lived for since he had nothing else. And, that particular thought had brought a boiling ocean of hatred to the forefront of Kurama's eyes as he glared past Naruto's portrait.

Zolt. He'd _seen _the intent in that idiot's eyes. That little spark of planning, the little gleam of rebellion. Of murder. Kurama knew it well, for it was a permanent feature of his own eyes. The man clearly, at the very least, wanted to do something in regards to Naruto. It did not take a genius to figure out that Zolt wanted to butcher Kurama's only remaining family. The last _real _Uzumaki. The last full one, the one who still held her favor. Kurama stood, pacing around the room.

That gleam was very troubling to Kurama. On one hand, Zolt was a perfectly sane man that had no plans to oppose his king, his satan. Kurama knew that Zolt knew he'd fail. He'd die the instant he tried to start. Kurama had eyes and ears in the damn ground, in the walls, the ceilings, the sky, the damn _water. _There was nowhere in Republic City that Kurama didn't have ears in. But, on the other hand, Zolt was a father. A grieving one. Kurama understood more than anyone the lengths one could go to for family. His hands were still stained.

Sighing heavily, Kurama crouched down in front of the portrait and continued to study it as his mind ran rampant. The mistress, as fickle and greedy as she was, laced her arms around his forearms in a sort of web and stroked the skin through his suit sleeves gently. Kurama growled lowly to himself, glaring at her ethereal image as it waved about in front of his face. She appeared to frown, the corners of her mouth dipping in a dainty fashion while her brows scrunched up.

He watched as she began to float away, unraveling her arms from around his and floating upwards away from him. As she left, Kurama held a fleeting thought that he smelt blood. For a brief moment, Kurama continued to stay on his knees, arms limp as he stared at the ground. His mind wandered the path he had taken in life, what he had done. The weight of the blood on his hands was too heavy for even him to lift. A knock at the door behind him stirred him.

"Sir," Kurama turned around to stare at his follower, and his eyes widened a fraction at the man standing beside him, before a grin settled onto his face.

"Leave us." Kurama's command was met with shuffling feet and the rapid closing of a door as he stood, groaning slightly at the way his joints popped before he stretched his back, stopping to stare at the man with extreme joy in his eyes, grinning in the trademark Kurama smirk.

"Well, well, well, wellwellwellwellwellwell… If it ain't _Amon._"

* * *

Kuvira's eyes drifted as she leaned on her left hand, watching the way Asami and Korra talked excitedly between each other, and then drifting her eyes over to Naruto as he sat at her side, staring down at the table cloth aimlessly. He appeared to be thinking. Kuvira wanted to ask him what about, but she restrained herself in favor of examining his features.

Her eyes had always been drawn to his own. Their color had not been matched by any other, even the Avatar at her side could not boast such vibrantly blue eyes as Naruto. And, they had this interesting quality about them. Change.

Kuvira had met many people in her short life, and none had such clarity of emotion in their eyes as he. The normal color, that of the blue sky, grew brighter with the gleam of his eye acting as the cloud within its own skyscape whenever he seemed to be genuinely happy or excited. Like he had been at Ichiraku Sushi. Other times, like now, when he seemed in thought his eyes seemed to bleed a little violet outwards from his pupil. It was very slight, and she had only noticed it twice before now, but it was there. The phenomenon intrigued Kuvira to no end.

There was a third instance of change within those spherical eyes. Negativity made the sky rain and turn to ice on the ground, deeply darkened and sharpened. Kuvira had teased the idea within her own speculation that his eyes could be used as knives. The ice that Naruto could conjure up from, quite literally, thin air with his bending did not hold a candle to how… cold his eyes could get. Could not match the clarity, the sharp edge to them.

Kuvira lied to herself when she told herself it did not unnerve her. Not even in hardened, veteran soldiers did she see such an edge to a person's eyes. Nevertheless, this edge became a quality to Naruto's eyes that drew Kuvira in. No matter how she felt, or what was happening, Kuvira found that she could, rather dangerously easily, fall into the sky of Naruto's eyes and drift along, weightless.

While his eyes may be his most curious quality, Kuvira could appreciate the other qualities about his appearance. The most obvious being his sun-dipped hair. Kuvira had seen the way Naruto's head bobbed within crowds simply because it looked as if the sun had given the Earth a child, a replica. The spiky silk threads that made up his head of hair looked to be soft as a baby's bottom, and Kuvira at many points had to stop herself from reaching to caress his head out of curiosity to see if their feeling lived up to their appearance.

There were other qualities. The line of his jaw, the bridge of his nose, even his brows all held a certain… soft edge to them that Kuvira found appealing. Naturally, being a bender made his physique pleasantly fit, and his form held a certain litheness to it that Kuvira enjoyed.

She caught her thoughts and told herself it was all ambient observations. Closing her eyes and breathing in softly, Kuvira opened them to find the pleasant surprise of Suyin and Baatar Jr. entering the building near the front. She smiled despite herself and stood up, indicating to Naruto through a gesture that she needed to leave the booth.

"Oh, sorry. Where're you going?" She turned at his question and smirked cheekily.

"Suyin's here, might as well invite her on over, right?" Kuvira asked, moreso towards their hostess as she looked over to Asami, who was drawn from her conversation with Korra and looked over to her with an 'O' on her face.

"Uhhhh… surrrreeee…" Asami hesitantly replied, puffing her cheek out awkwardly. Kuvira smiled despite the obvious intrusion and turned around to greet Suyin with a smile and a wave. "Suyin! Heheeyyy!" Kuvira exclaimed happily, jogging over to the older woman and groaning pleasantly as she hugged the practical mother in her life.

"Oh Kuvira! What are you here for? Don't tell me you left Korra for some date, now did you?" Suyin teased, smiling as Kuvira looked annoyed and placed her hand on her hip. "Just kidding, I know I know… You'd take Korra with you of course." Suyin openly laughed at the way Kuvira's face managed to somehow get even more annoyed.

"No. Obviously not. We are being treated to lunch by the Sato heiress, actually." Kuvira smirked at the way Suyin's brows flew up and her mouth dropped open.

"No. Way. You're getting free food!?" Baatar Jr. behind Suyin groaned at the fact that Suyin cared more about free food than the spirits-above _Sato _heiress. Regardless, Baatar Jr. smiled as he looked up and saw Kuvira, though it faltered only slightly when she seemed to ignore him in favor of grinning in a cocky manner to Suyin.

"Yep. Damn right I am. And uh," Kuvira leaned him cheekily, her hand raising up to her cheek as she whispered dramatically, "You want some?" Suyin's grin told Kuvira all she needed to know.

* * *

"I wish to have a word, _King._" Amon's gravelly voice beat itself into Kurama's ears in an attempt at dominance. Kurama found he enjoyed the mystery man's confidence.

"A word huh?" Kurama's eyes widened in a joyous manner as his brows rose up, wiggling in thought as he stared at the man. The two men stared at each other, until Amon's head lowered slightly, his hood shadowing the upper portions of his mask.

"Tell your other men to leave as well." Kurama's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and he snapped his fingers. Instantly, 5 men who had hidden within the room crawled out from various spaces and left the room. Kurama felt his muscles tense in preparation as the energy within his body began to stir. Amon had been the _second _man to ever notice their presence. A puzzle piece had been placed in Kurama's palm.

"What's this word you've got for me, hm? You've piqued my curiosity. Whether that's a good or bad thing for you is up to you, Amon." Kurama's growl was far more guttural and dominant than Amon could ever hope to achieve, and seeing the radical leader's chest deflate that fraction of a centimeter brought pride to Kurama's eyes. And yet another piece fell into his palm.

"You are a non-bender, are you not? If you are, my word should only be so obvious." Kurama's grin stretched across his face as he backpedalled with weighty, deliberate steps until he slumped loudly into his chair, leaning into a terrible posture for his back and resting his hand regally on the arm rest.

"I am no fool, Amon. And neither are you. You're smart, I can tell. _No one _makes it in this room if they are a fool, and _**not a single damn person **_has ever managed to be in my city without me knowing everything about them. So, that being said," Kurama leaned forward slowly, his eyes narrowing as a light orange glow briefly emanated from them, his fingers lacing together in front of his face, "Tell me exactly what your plan is. Because, being as smart as you are, you know that taking away everyone's bending will only destroy this world." Kurama watched as Amon's eyes gained a calculative glint to them, and his eyes mirrored the action. This confrontation seemed to be shaping up to be a match of wit.

"How so? Being the knowledgeable man you are, you will know what I stand for. What I teach the people of this city, and eventually the world. Bending brings war where peace may bring prosperity." Amon's arms flashed out to his sides as he finished, though his head remained as a wall in front of Kurama, the pair's eyes locked to each other. Pupil met pupil even as irises contracted and relaxed regularly. Faces twitched slightly, though Kurama could only guess if Amon's did as well.

"To say that bending does not bring benefit is blatantly wrong. We rely on bending for everything around us. Water benders purify the ocean so we may drink it, Earth benders construct our buildings so we may sleep peacefully, and Fire benders generate our electricity so we may continue to advance as a civilization. And," Kurama smiled cheekily even as Amon's eyes narrowed dangerously behind his mask, "Air benders sit around and preach ideals they barely follow." Kurama's grin dropped as fast as it had appeared, his fingers acting as a rest for his head as he continued to stare at Amon, who seemed to be contemplating his response.

"With the rapid advance of technology, the practical need for benders is lessening by the day. Benders are no longer leaders of their industries, take the Sato corporation for an example. I'd wager to say that even _you _are an example of non-bending prowess. Look at all that you have built, can you honestly say to me that a bender would have been able to do the same?" Kurama narrowed his eyes. Amon could be a damn good manipulator if this was how he spoke on a normal basis. To a man such as Kurama, however, this meant nothing.

"It is good to see that both of us have our secrets in this room. I was a bender at one point, boy." Kurama revelled in the pure shock and widening of Amon's eyes. "And, had I retained my ability to bend, I would have only taken Republic City twice as fast as I had. You are foolish to think a bender cannot accomplish what a non-bender can. But," Kurama leaned back, his eyes maintaining their unwavering observance of Amon's own, Kurama's left hand reaching out as if he were looking at his nails, "Perhaps I can let it pass as a misphrasing. What you meant to say is that Benders lack the drive of non-benders. It is only natural, life comes easier to a bender, _normally._"

"Regardless of phrasing, the point stands. Non-benders can and do achieve far more than benders, and non-benders are at a constant disadvantage. I seek equality. I do not seek to… take away individuality or skill. But, sacrifices must be made for equality. Surely you know of sacrifice? I am sure we both know of the trials one must face to achieve their goals, yes?" Despite the very obvious smile that Kurama could practically smell on Amon's face, Kurama's own remained stone, before a subtle snarl briefly flashed up the left side of his face.

"You talk of equality and yet you don't even know your own place. You don't even know who you're speaking to, do you? We are on two completely different levels, Amon, and for you to sit here and speak to me as an equal is a pathetic attempt to sway me towards your goals. Clearly, you need me far more than I need you." Kurama's chest swirled around in euphoria at the malicious anger that began to swirl around in Amon's eyes.

"That's preposterous! I am here to ensure your-" "How many bodies?" Kurama interrupted Amon by standing quickly, his face shadowed as the light from the ceiling beamed behind his head. Amon looked up, and to his credit he did not react to Kurama's imposing figure.

"What? Bodies? Humor me, I am confused."

"I asked," Kurama stepped forward, leaning down until his nose was mere inches away from Amon's mask, "How many bodies? How many deaths? How much blood stains your hands? Hm?" Kurama watched as Amon's eyes widened behind his mask and he backed up an inch.

"N-None! This is a peaceful revolution!" Amon shouted out angrily, as if he had been disrespected and slandered. Kurama's face remained stone as he stood, hands latched behind his back. His jaw flexed.

"I had 84 bodies on my hands by the time I was 14." Kurama's words slammed into Amon like a truck, and the man began to squirm in his seat as Kurama continued to beam down upon him with glowing orange eyes.

"You and I are not equals. You know _nothing _of sacrifice. Of trials. Of pain. Even of duty. Responsibility. You are a child playing a god's game. I can see it in your eyes. You have placed yourself upon a pedestal higher than humanity." Kurama paused as Amon's hand raised up towards him, and he felt his blood seize within his veins. He watched as Amon rose slowly, defiance and anger flashing in his eyes. Steadily, euphoric joy and accomplishment began to shine within Amon's eyes. Kurama merely continued to watch, unmoved even as his blood's motions were not his own.

"I will start with you. My new world, brought about by Revelation, does not have a place for monsters within the bodies of men. You say that I am a child playing a god's game, but you are a monster playing a man's sport." Amon glowered, glaring from his mask as Kurama stiffly stood in front of him.

"I will continue to let you play this game of your's in my city." Kurama spoke calmly, stepping forward as his skin glowed orange. Amon's eyes widened exponentially as he began to run to the door, tripping and falling over, rolling onto his back to stare with wide eyes as Kurama strode forward towards him.

"I _knew _you'd be a bender. I just knew it. A real non-bender would never have put himself on a pedestal. To think you'd be a _Blood _Bender, just like a certain…" Kurama grinned dangerously as the puzzle seemed to fall in place, completed. "Criminal." Amon's eyes began to shake, his body following suit as he tried to push himself through the wall.

"And, now that I know a little bit more about you, I'll say something. Truthfully, from the bottom of my heart," Kurama crouched down, his eyes low and narrow as he looked into the pure horror and fear within the radical leader's eyes. He reached out, watching as the man shook and screamed while avoiding it, but Kurama grasped his shoulder roughly and forced Amon to look at him.

An absolutely predatory and dominant grin slowly stretched across Kurama's face.

"Welcome to Republic City."

* * *

_I wanted to continue with this chapter, but god damn this is just such a good ending for it._

_REVIEW __DAMMIT_


	11. Chapter 11

_Minato had seen him coming. But, this was Republic City. As much as the news had wanted to throw around statistics and stories, Republic City was still one of the safest cities on the planet. Sure, the unfortunate death of Aang had caused a spike of crime, but it had been 5 years since then. Things had calmed down. So when Minato saw a man trailing behind his family, he did not assume the man meant harm. _

_Minato had been optimistic._

_The man obviously knew who the family was, for he targeted Kushina first. She could not bend the wind's water before he grabbed her wrists, pushing them up above her head and heaving his knife into her gut. Whatever resistance she had tried to build up had been torn down as her skin split and her muscles gave way to the metal. _

_The man did not grin as he felt her warm blood cascade across his hand. He dropped her wrists, watching as they limply fell to her sides. Minato screamed, running over to Kushina and trying to stop the man, but the man had been prepared. Minato was not the fighter Kushina was. He was an engineer. _

_The man sidestepped and watched as Minato fell forwards onto his face. Not taking his time for granted, the man grinned as Kushina's screams grew louder and louder as he withdrew the knife, watching as the little groove near the tip pulled out her intestine like it had been designed too. She'd never recover from this. He watched as the rest of her stomach followed._

_His grin would not leave now, even as Minato rushed him and managed to grab hold of the hand gripping the knife, pushing it outward and trying to overpower the man. His grin gained a sinister darkness to it, bringing his knee up to collide with Minato's rib cage, killing off his strength and sending the blonde man down onto his back. _

"_I woulda' let ya' live, you stupid motherfucker. But now, tsk...tsk… TSK!" The man launched the knife into MInato's chest, pulling it out before stabbing again and again. The police report would officially state 13 stab wounds. Naruto would remember upwards of 20._

_The man was breathing heavily as he finished, clearly tired from the mutilation he had enacted. Crouched on Minato's body and covered in blood, the man smiled. He stared at the body beneath his knees, though he felt a cold breeze at his side prompting him to look to his left. His grin stretched and morphed viciously as he stared at a dead-eyed boy who was staring at him, standing perfectly still._

_He said nothing, striding forward and looking into the boy's eyes. Hollow. He liked that. The boy didn't cry in the face of his parents dying like he expected most children would. Standing a few feet away from the boy, the man continued to merely smile at the boy. He watched as the boy's irises contracted and relaxed sporadically, his eyes shaking uncontrollably. The thin line between fear and anger made the man question which side of it the boy had fallen to._

_He heard the blood on his blade drip onto the ground before the breeze returned, carrying with it icicles in the air. His brow raised, but his grin returned in the face of the cold front. The boy's brows began to furrow in anger as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes, but the man's grin stayed. Police sirens rang above him, and he smiled at the boy. He suddenly dashed forward, kneeing the boy's face and knocking him out._

"_Tough luck kid, probably woulda' been better for ya' had I killed ya. Just makes tonight, heheheh, that much better to know I get to leave some kid alone on the streets. Heh." The man spoke to the boy even as he was out cold, and dashed away in the alley way. Kurama would later give the police his details, through a frothing mouth and guttural screaming. Lin Beifong had learned to fear the man in the weeks to follow._

* * *

Korra smiled awkwardly as she watched Kuvira return with Suyin and some man she had never met before. Though she felt uncomfortable in their presence, Korra wouldn't be mean. She knew Suyin briefly, and Kuvira seemed to be rather familiar with them, so Korra's only real problem with their presence was that this little outing was supposed to only be their little group, thanks to the wonderful Asami sitting at her side of course.

"Hey guys, I know you two already know her but Asami, this is Suyin Beifong. Leader of Zaofu." Asami waved as Suyin grinned joyously at her as Kuvira gestured to her with a smile, "And this is her son, Baatar Jr." The rest of the group waved, though Baatar Jr. merely nodded respectfully.

"S'it cool if they have lunch with us?" Kuvira asked, and Asami just nodded, scooting further to the edge of the booth to make room, Korra following a little reluctantly. She watched as Naruto got up, letting Kuvira enter first, then Suyin, and finally Baatar Jr. before he sat himself back down, now directly across from Asami in the semi-crowded booth.

"You came just in time, we haven't ordered yet." Korra offered in a pleasant manner, trying to be nice. Suyin smiled.

"Oh good good, how've you been Korra?" Suyin smiled at her, foregoing her menu for now in favor of talking to her. Korra smiled back, placing her index on her bottom lip in thought as she stared into space.

"Mmm… okay. Nothing really interesting has happened… oh oh oh! I joined the Fire Ferrets after Naruto filled in for one of their teammates!" Korra exclaimed, genuinely excited to be officially in a pro-bending team, though she hadn't had her first match yet. Suyin's brows rose and her face gained that hint of curiosity and interest in it that filled Korra's ego to a satisfying level.

"Really? Good for you! I didn't think Tenzin would allow something like that." Korra smiled awkwardly, laughing in a meek manner until Naruto set down his menu, annoyed.

"He hasn't yet. It just happened last night, and Chairmen Tarrlok was over this morning so we didn't get to talk to Tenzin about it before they both left to their meeting. Sucks, but well," Naruto grinned, "We get the day off." Suyin nodded, laughing a little as Korra just looked down in apprehension as she thought about how she would break it to Tenzin.

She hadn't been progressing in her Airbending as fast as she had hoped, not even hoped, had _expected _to, and it was really getting to her that she couldn't. Had it not been for Naruto's constant reassurance and confidence in her, Korra wasn't sure if she wouldn't of quit by now. There were… a lot of times she seriously questioned if she even needed air bending.

Regardless, that wasn't what she should be worrying about right now. Asami seemed to have a question for her as Kuvira began to converse with Suyin and Baatar Jr.

"How was it? Naruto's match? I couldn't be there in person last night and only managed to catch the radio broadcast on it." Asami asked, folding her hands and resting her cheek on it lightly, staring into Korra's eyes in genuine interest. A part of Korra's chest panged slightly at the fact that Asami had asked about Naruto and not her, she was the Avatar! But, well, Asami didn't know that. Barely _anyone _knew that.

"Oh it was… interesting. Nah, that really explain it well. It was great! He struggled at first, but suddenly it was like a switch flipped and it made sense to him. He calmed down real fast and, and he just pulled water out of the air like it was nothing! Shot a whole wave at the eels! Until last night I didn't even know he could do that!" Korra explained, smiling as she remembered Naruto's match. Naruto took this moment to pipe in.

"I didn't either. Kinda wish I did, but eh, I can do it now so who cares." Korra turned to look at him across the table, as did Suyin and Baatar Jr. Suyin also seemed confused.

"Wait, you didn't know you could pull water from the air? Your mother could too, so it's not too much of a stretch to say you could." Naruto looked at her with that desperation that Korra was coming to hate, clinging onto her words with his eyes.

"She could?" Suyin reeled back in shock, and Baatar Jr. narrowed his eyes though no one caught it. Korra leaned forward, intrigue exuding from her. Naruto never talked about his parents.

"You didn't know? Kushina was famous for it! The Uzumaki were famous for it! After they uh, ahem, passed, people were unsure if we'd ever see another waterbender quite like an Uzumaki. You seriously didn't know?" Suyin looked at him with wide eyes, and Naruto merely nodded as his brows furrowed.

"No, I didn't. I don't… I don't remember much about them. I didn't even know the Uzumaki were such a big deal until we got to Republic City. What even... what even happened to them?" Naruto asked with big, gleaming eyes. The desperation in them seriously got to Korra. How could she not notice how much this mattered to him before? How much did he hide from her? And why? She could help!

"The fate of the Uzumaki is one of great mystery to it. Avatar Aang returned to Republic City with Kushina one day, and announced that she was the last Uzumaki. Neither Aang or Kushina ever revealed publicly what had happened to the Uzumaki up in the North, and the North refuses to speak on the subject out of respect to their great clan. Tensions were high with the North for a few years because they wanted Kushina to return to the North, but eventually Avatar Aang managed to make peace with them. I had hoped you could shed some light on what happened to them, but it seems you can't." Baatar Jr explained, pushing his glasses up and staring at Naruto.

Naruto looked as if he had been hit by a satomobile, slowly leaning away from the table and pressing his back into the booth deeply as he stared at the table. Korra wanted so desperately to reach over and give him a hug, but the damn table was in her way. Baatar Jr. was blocking Kuvira from doing anything, and Asami was across the table from him. Even Suyin seemed uncomfortable. The only one who didn't was Baatar Jr.

"They're… all gone? Does that mean… I'm the last Uzumaki?" The implications of Naruto's question left a dread across the table, and Korra's eyes widened a fraction at his words. He looked so, sad. Baatar Jr. however seemed unmoved.

"Yes." He told Naruto, staring at the blonde. Naruto nodded slowly, continuing to stare at the table. "Actually, I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me, Naruto." Baatar Jr. continued, prompting Naruto and the rest of the table to glance at him.

"Uh… sure. Go head'." Baatar Jr. nodded, adjusting his glances briefly before linking his fingers together and setting his hands down on the table in front of him.

"I just want to know how, up until tonight, your identity as an Uzumaki was kept hidden from the world. It's… strange to me. The police did not report a child on scene when they arrived, if I remember correctly." Korra found herself in a fumbling mess of confusion. What? She looked at Naruto, contemplating his parents as he seemed to be as well, but a hand rested onto the boy's shoulder, prompting Korra to looked up and find herself staring into the eyes of that red haired man, Kurama. He never seemed to leave them alone since last night. He was staring forward with a grim look.

"Doesn't matter. Kid's an Uzumaki." Kurama's growl shook Korra to her core, her eyes glued to the man's face as his eyes swept across the table before landing onto Naruto, his hand still resting on the boy's shoulder in what looked to be an awkwardly comforting manner. Naruto stared up at him.

"You're… You're Kurama aren't you? What're you here for?" Baatar Jr. questioned with narrowed, cautious eyes, nervously pushing up his glasses and looking at Kurama. The man patted Naruto's shoulder heartily before leaning across the table with a grin.

"Oh nothin', nothin'... just gotta talk to Suyin about the dance is all." Kurama's grin didn't sit well with Korra, nor anyone else at the table, but Suyin stood up regardless, staring defiantly into the man's eyes even as she stood above him due to his hunch across the table.

The man looked up past his brows with an open-mouthed grin, before it tightened and became his trademark smirk as he rose up, placing his hands behind his back. Suyin glared at him, crossing her arms.

"Whatever you have to tell me you can tell me here." Kurama's grin dipped slightly at her defiant words and tone of voice, before he narrowed his eyes and growled.

"There's some… private matters we need to attend to as well. Please," Kurama gestured outwards with a charismatic smile, though the predatory look in his eyes threw it off, "It'll only take a moment." Suyin looked at him, and then back to Kuvira and Baatar Jr., before sighing heavily and gesturing for Baatar Jr. and Naruto to get up to allow her to leave. Korra watched as Kuvira got up and grabbed her arm first, worry evident in the soldier's eyes.

"I'll, I'll go with yo-" "No." Kurama interrupted Kuvira, grinning even as she glared daggers at him. Korra got up quickly when she saw the metal on Kuvira's chest start to separate slightly. Grabbing Kuvira by the shoulder, Korra sat her down and reached her arm across her shoulder, whispering to her.

"Look, I don't like it either but that guy's dangerous. I think we'd better play by his rules, for now at least." Kuvira looked at her with narrowed eyes, and then back to Kurama and Suyin, before sighing and sitting down a little more comfortably, though she looked down with angry eyes at the table. Suyin patted her shoulder before stepping out of the booth and past an awkwardly standing Baatar Jr. and a nervous Naruto, waving to them both with a comforting smile.

"Don't worry, I'll be back." Suyin told the group, striding away with Kurama. Naruto watched her go, and went to sit down until Kuvira got up and pushed past him roughly.

"Kuvira! Stop! Hey!" Naruto grabbed her arm and stopped her, but Kuvira turned around and tore his hand off of her wrist.

"You won't stop me! I won't let him hurt her!" Kuvira snarled at Naruto, and the anger in her eyes briefly failed to mask over her deep concern, but Naruto caught it. He looked at her for a moment before stepping forward, leaning into her personal space.

"Look, I know you won't like it but just hear me out. That guy, he… he works in secrecy. Everything about him is hidden. He wouldn't do anything to Suyin in the light of day. She'll be fine." Naruto watched as the anger in Kuvira's eyes faded slightly, but she still grit her teeth and flexed her jaw, going to turn around again but Naruto stopped her.

"What." She growled at him through grit teeth, but Naruto looked past her and looked at where Kurama and Suyin were standing. They were near the bathrooms.

"Hey, I'm not saying there's nothing you can do. You could go over and listen," Naruto gestured to the bathrooms, "They're by the bathrooms. You got an earthbending trick to make a hole or sense their vibrations of something?" Naruto whispered to her, and he grinned slightly as he watched the gears work in her head. Instead of saying anything, Kuvira stepped forward and nodded slightly towards the group that were seated.

"Sorry guys I'll be back, gotta use the bathroom."

* * *

"Listen, and listen well Beifong." Kurama's eyes narrowed and his arms as he stared into Suyin's own narrowed eyes. "The meeting today, with the councillors? I promised you protection at the dance and all that?" Suyin nodded cautiously, and Kurama smirked as his eyes glowed a deep orange.

"Good, good. I'll stand by my word. I planned to attend the dance even without providing protection. It's a good event," Suyin nodded graciously, though the tension did not leave the pair, "But there's just one thing I've got an issue with. I know you heard about my connection to Naruto."

"You're his cousin or something, right? I heard you say he was your family." Suyin's tone was one of leverage, like she held the power in the conversation. Kurama figured it was good enough. He smirked at her.

"Yeah, yeah we're cousins alright. Regardless," Neither seemed to notice as a small hole opened up in the wall behind a painting near the two, Kuvira's ear on the other side of the hole.

"I'm gonna need you to forget everything about Naruto and me." Kurama's face dropped its usual smirk and his eyes glowed a little more intensely. Suyin would lie to herself and say she wasn't afraid, but she knew herself too well to do so. However, that didn't mean she wasn't brave enough to face the man and stand her ground.

"And what makes you think I'll do that? You can't kill me, my death would be too hard for you to cover up, as Lin seems to think you do for many deaths in Republic City." Suyin grinned, though it dropped as Kurama chuckled dryly, looking down and rubbing his forehead.

"First off, you're wrong. Second, you're only 'safe'," Kurama gestured his fingers in air quotes, "Because you matter to Kuvira, and Kuvira matters to Naruto. But beyond that? Nope. Heheh, nope. Nada. Zilch. And, well," Kurama grinned, snapping his fingers. His grin stretched a centimeter more as he watched Suyin jump when a man dropped from the ceiling and gave Kurama a mail package before disappearing again, Suyin looking around for him with wide, fearful eyes.

"You see Suyin, there's more than one way to get to a person." Kurama started with a sigh, tearing into the mail package and grasping what was inside with his right hand, looking up to Suyin without a grin but rather a lecturing face, "You can threaten their life all you want, maybe rough em up a bit. Doesn't matter as much, it's all physical. Personal. But, heheh," Kurama held up a photo in his hands, and grinned sadistically at the pure horror that bled into Suyin's face.

"Do anything to their family? Ohhhhohohoho, they become putty in your hands." Kurama threw the bundle of photos at Suyin, who caught it with a reverant hand and rapidly pulled the rubber band off of them, scanning through them with growing horror.

A few images were of Opal from suspicious angles, like she was being trailed. A few were of her husband Baatar, a few more of her precious twins, and even a group devoted to her Huan. The final photo was a group shot of masked men adorning all black at the sign that denoted Zaofu's borders. Suyin held back sobs of fear as she stared at the photo.

"B-But… the meeting was, was this morning… how'd… how'd they get there so fast? That's… that's impossible." Suyin muttered in question, looking up to Kurama with a new devastated level of fear. The man, however, didn't grin like she expected. Instead, he sighed heavily as if weight had been pressed onto his chest. He strode towards her and sat his hand on her shoulder, pulling her in closer to him and reaching his hand fully around her shoulders.

"I put men in Zaofu the moment I knew you were coming to Republic City. They arrived a week ago." Kurama explained with a grave tone of voice, looking at Suyin as she held back tears. He grimaced slightly, removing his arm from around her and reaching into his suit and pulling out a handkerchief, handing it to her.

"Don't worry. Seriously. Nothing's gonna' happen to them. I just, I needed insurance. You'd do anything for your family right?" Suyin nodded gravely, expecting him to make abhorrent demands, but instead Kurama smiled softly at her and looked down, his eyes narrowing and his brows furrowing in some sort of pain.

"Yeah… I would too. So, just, don't tell anyone about Naruto and me, and nothing happens to them okay?" Kurama didn't smile as Suyin nodded, wiping her tears and sniffing as she regained her confidence slightly, and Kurama nodded at her, turning around and striding slowly out of the building. As soon as the man left, Baatar Jr. came bolting from the booth, as did Kuvira from the bathroom. The pair immediately huddled around her, comforting her and trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mom!? Mom what happened? What're… what're these pho-... spirits above…" Baatar Jr. mumbled out as his body became ice, and Kuvira looked panicked.

"What was he saying about Naruto!? What's Naruto got to do with a monster like that?!" Kuvira whispered at the still recovering Suyin in a frantic manner, but Baatar Jr. caught her words.

"Uzumaki? Uzumaki's got something to do with this?" Baatar Jr. whispered to himself, staring at a photo of Opal's turned back in _her room, _before turning to Naruto with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth. "Uzu...maki's…" Baatar Jr. mumbled to himself, looking back to the photos and finding his hands dangerously clenched.

Suyin looked to Kuvira and Baatar Jr. before pulling the both of them closer to her and closing her eyes strongly. She pulled them both in as if she would lose them.

"Listen you two, ignore everything that just happened. Please. Don't worry." Baatar Jr. and Kuvira looked up to her with wide, questioning eyes as if the woman had gone crazy. Suyin was beginning to think she might have.

"What!? We, we've gotta go to Zaofu! Put those men in prison! Make sure everyone's safe!" Kuvira urged, pulling herself away from Suyin and gritting her teeth at her as she waved around a few of the photos that Baatar Jr. hadn't grabbed. Suyin looked at her and frowned.

"No no nonono, that'll make it worse. Trust me Kuvira. We _need _to ignore this, I'm begging you." Suyin bowed slightly to Kuvira, who was breathing heavily in her tension. She looked at Suyin, then to Baatar Jr., and even back at the group at the table briefly, before returning to Suyin. She glanced at the photos in her hand once more, before breathing in heavily and exhaling, her body relaxing slightly as she did so, though it remained tense.

"Fine just, we'll just focus on the dance." Kuvira muttered, walking closer to Suyin with a tense face. Suyin smiled thankfully at her, and pulled her into a hug.

"That's a good idea. A great one actually!" Suyin tried to bring the energy that was usually present in her voice back, attempting to cheer up the two as she gestured upwards and clapped. "I had this idea. Since this dance is all about welcoming the Avatar," Suyin had to stop herself from mentioning Korra, and stop herself from shaking from the last vestiges of Kurama's threat, "We should break tradition and include non-metal benders in the dance! Wouldn't that be great! We could have a bender from each discipline participate! Though," Suyin looked down and grasped her still shaking chin with shaky fingers in thought, "It might be hard to get an Airbender for it, hehe." Suyin awkwardly laughed, though Kuvira and Baatar Jr. weren't looking at her.

Kuvira was just looking down in thought, and Baatar Jr. was staring at Naruto with new eyes. Suyin had never seen those eyes on Baatar Jr. before, and she couldn't pinpoint their meaning. Regardless, Suyin was determined to comfort her family, and pulled them both in close.

"I've got an idea! Naruto can be our waterbender! If he's anything like his mom, he'll be a great dancer!" This caught Kuvira's attention at least, and Baatar Jr. stiffened up and seemed to be paying more attention to her.

"Naruto? In the dance?" Kuvira mumbled, looking down in serious contemplation. Suyin grinned, knowing full well why that caused Kuvira to perk up, and then brought the group back to the table, smiling when she saw that the food had arrived.

"Oh we're back just on time!"

* * *

_Sorry for the delay, this was a really hard chapter to write. This damn lunch scene has gone through more changes than I can count._

_Also side note, this is my longest story, ain't that something?_

_Anyway, review review review REVIEW. No seriously, this chapter has me nervous as to how you guys will receive it, considering it went through so many changes. I wanted to make sure I accomplished what I wanted with it and nothing more, so please review and tell me what you thought about it, thanks ahead of time._


	12. Chapter 12

_Kurama had beat the police by a whole 15 minutes. Blood was already on his hands the moment he heard of what had happened._

_Two of his men, __**his men, **__had been paid off. Were 'distracted' by something else. That wasn't how it worked. No. Nononononono. Their __**only **__job was to make sure Kushina and Minato were safe. Make sure their kid was safe. That was all they had to do. They were getting paid triple damn it!_

_Kurama had heard of them being paid off before the news of Kushina's death hit him. He had been pulling his hand out of their stomachs when his messenger arrived. Kurama barely had the restraint to tell his messenger to run before he ran to the scene. As he rounded the corner to the alley way, his mind went blank._

_Looking back, Kurama figured he had been more surprised than anything else. When he heard the news, he had expected that even the Earth's oceans would be considered a drop compared to the waves upon waves of murder that would roll off of his body. But, he had been seized up by the sound of a breath. Small. __**Precious. **_

_Kurama's eyes had glanced at Kushina for the briefest of moments before settling permanently onto Naruto's small frame, his face bloodied slightly but other than that there was no harm done to the boy. _

_Kurama's feet had carried him forward slowly, deliberately. He had stepped over Minato's body and around Kushina's insides before kneeling so very slowly next to Naruto's small frame. His hands hovered, unsure, above the boy before gently digging underneath his legs and chest, hoisting him onto Kurama's knees._

_Kurama breathed. He hadn't realized it but he had held his breath since he came across the bodies. His breath was labored, choked. Kurama's face contorted into waves upon waves of grief. Sadness washed over Republic City. The mistress responded to Kurama's sadness, and a storm began over Republic City. Record breaking. Lasted 3 weeks._

_Kurama pulled Naruto slowly to his chest, choking back a sob as he buried his face into the boy's hair, breathing. The boy's subtle warmth found its way into Kurama's chest slowly, and the man began to slowly stop shaking. That warmth began a spark, a tiny flame. In that moment, Kurama had considered it a replacement for the sparkling firework that had been Kushina in his chest, but when Naruto had returned to Republic City he had understood that they were different._

_Kushina's had been one of protectionary love, dutiful love. He had loved Kushina from a standpoint as something to be protected. But, Naruto had grown to be something different. Kurama could see it the moment the boy entered his den. He could see the way the boy's irises refused to sit still, giving away his fear. But, his body did not shake. His voice did not quiver. And his face did not twitch._

_The boy was more like Kurama than Kushina had been. Kushina had been a lover, as all Uzumaki are, but she had not been very determined. Determination was a trait, but not a primary one. There were many venues that she had given up on. When something was difficult for Kurama's sister, she tended to lash out. But, Naruto was different. Like Kurama, determination became a primary trait of the boy's personality._

_And such, as Kurama watched the boy's eyes narrow and his irises freeze when he handed the boy his mugshot of that __**monster **__back, Kurama could not stop himself from grinning. And, in that moment he had realized that the flames in his chest burned for different reasons._

_Kushina's burned out of a desire to protect what he cherished._

_Naruto's burned out of familial pride._

* * *

Naruto found his attention pulled along by Baatar Jr. as the boy practically jumped over him and began to run towards Suyin. Shaking his head to rid the shock from his system, Naruto peered over his shoulder and past the booth to watch as Baatar Jr. and Kuvira crowded Suyin, worry and concern present across all parties. Naruto's eyes hardened to a degree, the corners of his mouth tightening.

He watched as they conversed with each other, frantically. He could see the fear across Suyin's frame, watched the way she resisted the shaking of her core. He watched as Kuvira and Baatar Jr. were pulled into a hug, watched the way comfort poured across the group and calmed them all slightly. His eyes briefly met Baatar Jr's, and for a brief moment Naruto felt murder strike at his heart. But, it was drowned out by blood.

Naruto quickly tore himself away from the scene and looked down shakily at the table, gritting his teeth and sharply inhaling as quietly as he could. Visions of his mother and father smiling at him were pushed to the forefront of his mind, and Naruto had to stop himself from shaking. Rapidly, he tore at the images until they were shredded, pieces floating away slowly until Naruto could think clearly again.

Looking up, Naruto was surprised to find Asami's concerned face, Korra looking past him towards Suyin's group. Asami seemed to lean forward to try and say something, but their waiter arrived with a grin looking to please, setting down their food on the table.

"Heh, thanks." Naruto awkwardly laughed at the waiter, smiling. The man smiled to Asami before looking to Naruto with a brief look, turning away swiftly and leaving the group.

"Oh we're back just on time!" Suyin's voice crashed into Naruto's ears, prompting the boy to turn and cast his eyes once more upon the family. He watched as Kuvira's eyes locked onto his with a serious look in them, as if she were thinking about something. Naruto, not used to such attention, awkwardly shot his eyes over to Baatar Jr. and instead found dread flooding his system. Baatar Jr's eyes held murder within them, and Naruto found his muscles tensing and the mistress' claws reaching down and cascading slowly across the length of his forearms, but Baatar Jr. turned away, nodding to his mother.

"I'll be leaving. I've got some things to check up on." Baatar Jr. gave no room for Suyin to confront him for he had already been striding away when he told her. The older woman watched him go before Naruto tapped her on the shoulder, gesturing to the table as he stood up, allowing Kuvira and her to sit down. She smiled in thanks.

"Oh this looks delicious!" Korra's excited squeal brought a smile to Naruto's face, his eyes softening and the tension in his muscles relaxing slightly, though he could still feel the way the mistress' claws flowed down his forearms in tantalizingly slow motions. Naruto fought to ignore her with all his being. He could feel the purest form of desire rolling off of her in waves. It was aimless, unfocused. She did not want anything in particular, just something. This feeling had been growing from her aura since he had connected with her, and Naruto was hardpressed to continue ignoring it. Regardless, he did.

"I'm glad you think so, I'll bet it tastes better than it looks!" Asami's reply made Naruto smile, and he looked down to his own food with a keen eye. They had ramen, so it was an obvious choice. But, it was different. It looked exquisite, to be sure, but there was something missing about it that Naruto could not describe. Deciding he was being crazy, Naruto snapped his chopsticks and readied himself to try them.

Korra leaned forward, as did Kuvira, prompting Naruto to look up with a quizzical look.

"What?" He asked, raising his brow comically as genuine confusion tugged at his face.

"Well, you're having ramen. And you couldn't stop going on and on and on about Ichiraku's Ramen, so," Korra began, looking at him with intense eyes, and Kuvira stood up, planting her hands on the table with a serious look, "We're unbelievably interested in how you'll like this ramen." She finished for Korra, the Avatar nodding in confirmation. Suyin and Asami looked at the two like they were crazy, yet they peered over at Naruto with curiosity brewing as well, caused by the over the top reactions from the girls.

Naruto coughed awkwardly, smiling at them shakily before looking down to the bowl in front of him. He looked up at them once more, receiving a nod and a grunt from Kuvira, before he sighed and stuck his chopsticks in, pulling out a small bundle of noodles and even a piece of fish. Kuvira leaned in slightly, as did Korra, but Naruto ignored them, staring intently at the bundle at the end of his chopsticks.

"Ahhhh…" Naruto opened up, promptly placing the ramen bundle in his mouth and snapping it closed, dramatically closing his eyes and chewing slowly. He furrowed his brow, humming to himself, before swallowing, his eyes staying closed.

"So?"

"How was it?"

Korra and Kuvira wasted no time demanding his reaction, to which the boy opened his eyes, staring at the bowl intensely. He thought he figured out what was missing, but, seeing Asami and remembering that she was hosting, Naruto decided to… under-exaggerate. Yea. That was it.

"It's good! I'd say it's on par with Ichiraku's." Naruto stated seriously, closing his eyes and nodding to himself in confirmation. Korra and Kuvira sighed, slumping back in a disappointed manner before attending to their own food. Naruto meanwhile picked up his chopsticks again and began to eat, though slower than he would Ichiraku's Ramen. He had figured out what was missing, familiarity. The feeling of a group effort. The routine that could only come from frequent meetings. He had missed the familiarity of the Ichiraku's. Regardless, the food was still good.

"So Suyin, that guy said you had a dance, right? What's that about?" Asami asked, staring at the older woman with curious eyes. Naruto glanced between the pair, looking down at his food and eating slowly. Suyin smiled at the younger girl, and Kuvira perked up as well, a small smile on the soldier's face even as she tore into her steak.

"Ah I'm glad you asked! I forgot I haven't actually officially announced it yet, oopsies." Suyin laughed, covering up her hand as the corners of her eyes crinkled. "Anyway, my dancers from Zaofu will be doing their very first recital outside of Zaofu to celebrate the A-" Suyin stopped briefly, looking down in consideration, before smiling and shaking her head, "To celebrate the Avatar!" Suyin announced with pure joy on her face. Everyone at the table could see the unrestricted passion on her face, and Naruto was lying if he said it didn't make his chest swell slightly. Happiness was infectious it seemed. Asami's mouth dropped open in surprise, before her face stretched to a wide smile.

"You're doing a Zaofu dance here in Republic City! Oooohhhh I thought I was gonna have to travel there one day to see one! That's great!" Asami exclaimed excitedly, Suyin and Asami staring at each other with excitement in their eyes.

"But, that brings up a good question." Asami interrupted, resting her elbow on the table and pointing her index and middle fingers upwards as an indicator, "You guys ever wonder who the Avatar is? What their personality's like?" Asami looked at the table with a cheeky smile on her face, closing her eyes and sighing haughtily, "Other people are more concerned about how they plan to deal with the Equalists and other problems around the world, but me?" Asami opened her eyes, pointing at her chest with her thumb even as Naruto shot a subtle glance to Korra, who seemed to be hanging onto Asami's every word, "I care more about their taste in music. I wonder what they like? Maybe classical? I heard the Avatar is supposed to be pretty spiritual, so I don't know if they'd like something like jazz. Makes you wonder, you know?" Asami finished with a small chuckle, and Naruto watched as Korra's chest began to puff out, a cheeky smirk spreading on her face.

"Yea, you know, the Avatar's-" "Probably not gonna' show their face for a while." Naruto interrupted Korra quickly, acting as if it was an offhand comment, looking down and chewing his food before looking up at Asami's waiting face. He pretended to ignore the way Korra childishly glared at him with puffed out cheeks.

"What? It's only been… 17 or so years since Aang died right? I doubt they've got all the elements mastered, and besides," Naruto slurped up a few noodles before sighing, looking upwards with a smirk on his face as he glanced at Korra, "I heard that those White Lotus guys that are supposed to protect the Avatar go a little overboard." Korra laughed, and Kuvira chuckled, but Asami looked at Naruto and nodded slowly, seemingly in thought, before sighing and leaning back into the booth, looking up.

"I guess you're right. I just kinda wanna meet them and decide for myself if they're good enough to be this," Asami gestured outwards with a sort of jazz hands like movement, "Mystical savior of life and protector of everything good that everyone seems to be hyping them up to be. I mean, has anyone ever thought about what would happen in the Avatar up and decided that the world we have now needs to be erased? Follows in the footsteps of Firelord Sozin?" Asami pondered to herself, but Naruto watched with concerned eyes at the way Korra's eyes widened and she crushed inward on herself.

"That'll never happen." Naruto called out, chewing lackadaisically on his noodles and looking up at Asami, glancing over at Korra to make sure she was paying attention to him. "Call it a hunch but, I'm sure the Avatar's a great person. I think they just need some time to make sure they're ready for the job they've got." Naruto finished, and held back a smile at the way Korra's face relaxed. Kuvira smiled softly, as did Suyin, both earthbenders knowing the subtlety of his answer, while Asami considered what he said.

"Well regardless, I'm more interested in this dance you've got right now! When's it gonna be?" Asami switched subjects, turning over and looking intensely into Suyin's eyes, the passion in them matching Suyin's own. Suyin smiled at seeing that.

"In about a month or so. I was thinking, to celebrate the Avatar, I might see if I can get benders from each discipline to dance in the recital. You know, to emphasize the peace the Avatar represents, and obviously their ability to bend the four elements. And, to that regard," Suyin turned to look at Naruto, a smile on her face, "You think you could fill the role of a waterbender for me, Naruto?"

Naruto choked on his noodles, coughing harshly as he punched his chest. Naruto set down his chopsticks after he managed to reign in his coughs, taking a deep breath before looking at Suyin.

"WHAT!? Me!? I, I don't know my left foot from my right, and you expect me to be able to _dance!?_" Naruto's outburst made the table laugh at him like it was a joke, but Naruto folded in on himself. It wasn't a joke…

"Of course I do! You're mother was amazing at it, so I'm sure at least some of it was passed down onto you. Plus, you've got Kuvira right here to help you!" Suyin offered, throwing her arm around Kuvira's shoulder and shaking the girl, who looked at Naruto with invested eyes.

"Yeah, don't worry about it Naruto! I'll help you!" Kuvira urged, staring into the boy's eyes and focusing on the sky within them. Naruto, however, began to feel cornered.

"I, I don't know…"

"Oh come on Naruto! It's a dance for the _Avatar! _You should do it! Hahahahaha!" Korra laughed at him, a malicious teasing glint in her eye that Naruto detested all the way back from when he was nearly 7. Groaning, Naruto slammed his head on the table and refused to pull it up.

"Finnnnnne." Naruto moaned out, and the table cheered.

_Not much going on with this chapter other than the intro, but regardless, I need them reviews boy!_


	13. Chapter 13

"_Hahaha! Look! LOOK! It's a little Uzumaki kid! Heheahahahah!"_

"_Hahahahaah!" "Hahahahahahahaaaa!" "Haha!"_

"_Heheh… huhhhhhh… so, brat," He leaned down, "What're you here to do, hm? You a messenger? An offering?" His smirk irritated the boy with red hair. The boy remained silent._

"_Oh? Neither? Well, perhaps that old Uzumaki elder is dumber than I thought. To think, he lets a little kid like you wander aaaallll the way out here, alone. Listen kid, I know about that good ol Uzumaki love and all, but it seems like your elder just let you wander out to your death. Heheh. Let's kill him boys." The three guards stepped forward, but the boy remained, jaw tightened and eyes hardened. His violet eyes began to burn; anger and murder started to spew forward out of his eyes in ocean fulls. The guards staggered._

"_Manifest, my mistress."_

* * *

"Remember practice starts at 3 and ends at 9 okay! I'll see you tomorrow! Have fun Korra!" Suyin's voice gradually grew quieter as the group separated from Suyin's fleeting form, and Naruto waved back towards the blurred figure even as he strode forward behind the three girls, hands stuffed quickly into his pockets as he walked.

"You excited for your match later Korra? Doesn't it start in a few hours or something?" Asami asked, excitedly smiling at the tanned girl with wide eyes. Korra looked at her and nodded her head, squinting her eyes and cheekily grinning in her excitement. Naruto watched their interaction with a soft smile, while Kuvira merely strode forward with a calm face as the sun beamed over Republic City.

Naruto looked at the skyline, the wind blowing softly through his hair, the ends of it tickling his ears and his nose, though he didn't mind. His jaw tightened when the wind carried the scent of velvet red hair and strands of gold, though he refused to give into the hands of the mistress as they pulled themselves up his arms and slowly wrapped around his throat. He remained calm, even as she floated in front of him with a dangerous gleam in her ethereal eyes. She wanted something. Anything. And Naruto wasn't sure what to give her.

Korra breathed in heavily, and the mistress turned into mist and floated away from Naruto's view as she did so. Naruto silently thanked Korra from the depths of his heart.

"Oh mannnn, I can't wait for my match tonight! Anyone know what's the match that happens before mine?" Korra asked, looking around to the group for answers. Naruto strode forward, coming up beside her and looking at her.

"Before your's? I think it's the Champs playing some low-ranked team. Probably gonna be a sweep." Korra looked at him and puffed out her cheeks in a haughty fashion.

"Hmpf. My game'll be a sweep, I swear it!" Korra proclaimed, jabbing her arm out into the air and glaring at Naruto comically. He laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his stomach heaved. Kuvira chuckled, and Asami just watched, being the newest to the group, unused to their antics.

"Oh yeah? Well, if you wanna sweep your team, I've got some tips for ya."

"I don't need any tips! I was trained by Katara!" Korra yelled, pointing her finger under Naruto chin and pushing her jaw out. Naruto looked at her with a deadpan.

"Come on Korra. I was too. Duh!" Naruto flicked her forehead, and the girl looked up to him with a pout, "I was gonna saaaaayy, before you so rudely interupted me," Naruto narrowed his eyes at her before turning away, staring at the mass of people that moved all about Republic City in front of them, "Katara's bending doesn't cut it in the ring. It's too… stiff. She's a very defensive bender, doesn't dish out a lot of punishment. But, from the match I played," Naruto turned to look at Korra and found her clinging onto his words with sparkling eyes, he even spied Asami behind her looking at him with those same eyes. "Pro-bending is all about punishment. Don't be afraid to _move _Korra. Experiment. Cause', at the end of the day, as cool as Mako and Bolin are, you shouldn't care if they're mad at ya'. It's your first game! Just test the waters, alright? Worst that can happen is you get put in Loser's Bracket, but you'll just claw your way outta that huh!?" Naruto hyped her up, jumping into a boxer's stance with a grin on his face.

"Yeah yeah yeah! I've got this!" Korra yelled, jumping into a boxer's stance and making punching motions towards Naruto. The boy grinned and playfully dodged them before stepping forward, throwing his arm around her head and waving his arm out towards Republic City.

"Tonight, introduce the people of Republic City to Korra!"

"To the Avatar!" Korra shouted out happily, and Naruto's eyes widened as did Kuvira's, and Asami's face morphed into a confused look. Korra landed on her feet with a smile and turned around,

"Uh oh."

Naruto looked around rapidly, looking at the crowds of people and sighing in relief when he found that no one had, thankfully, turned around with astonishment. A few looked at Korra like she was crazy, and Naruto was glad that she wasn't taken seriously.

"What!?" Asami's shout made Naruto wince.

* * *

Kurama laid across his chair in a comfortable position, face grim and hard as stone. Contemplation waved through his eyes as he sat flipping a pocket watch in his hand. His favorite time piece. Exhaling softly, Kurama flipped open the silver piece with a satisfying 'clink' sound that reverberated throughout his empty home. Staring back at him was Kushina's smiling face as she hung off of Minato's back, the man looking up at her with a surprised face as his glasses were falling off of his face. Kurama looked up, peering across the skyline of Republic City through his vast panes of glass, thinking.

He was lonely. It was only natural. He did not feel… weak because of it. He did not feel shameful. He was not prideful in hiding that fact. Instead, he prided himself on his lonesome, to a degree. Kurama had not allowed a single person to know his inner thoughts since Kushina had died. There was no second in command of his empire, no assistant or advisor. Only his underlings. Everything was reported directly to him. Kurama was a paranoid man, as he should be, and would not allow anyone else but _him _to hold power in his empire. Power gave way to possibility, and possibility gave way to revolt. His death. Kurama's jaw flexed as he closed the timepiece softly, his thumb rubbing across its worn surface.

This lonesome was natural. He was an _Uzumaki. _As much as Kushina had tried to sway him away from his _genetic trait, _Kurama could only connect with Uzumakis. Could only _trust _Uzumakis. Could only _care _about Uzumakis. It was in his blood. The Uzumaki were, to him, first and foremost **Family **people. They had, obviously, been generous people, but only to those that their family cared about. Kurama blamed Kushina's famed generosity on the fact that she had only been 5 when their clan was decimated and so she could not fully engross herself in their values. 5 year olds were still being taught right from wrong. Having never grown past this black and white nature, Kushina did not understand the nuances of this ideal.

Kurama's focus passed the timepiece and his vision shifted to the portrait of Naruto that hung beside his portrait of Kushina. Naruto understood these nuances, Kurama could tell. Katara had told him of the favoritism that was flagrantly displayed by the White Lotus that watched over Korra, so Kurama knew that Naruto was already exposed to the darker nuances to people. Plus, the boy held Minato's intellect. And, while Kurama told himself that he, and at numerous times did, hate Minato, deep down Kurama knew he could never hate anyone that gave Kushina the happiness that Kurama himself could not. Besides, Minato's intellect was incredible, and for it to pass onto Naruto was a blessing that the boy didn't know he had.

Kurama had gotten sidetracked. The point was, Naruto had a level of understanding when it came to people that Kushina did not. And Kurama was ever thankful for it. Because, Kurama wished to engage with another Uzumaki again. Craved it even. His body jumped at the thought of teaching Naruto to waterbend in ways only an Uzumaki could. His heart jumped at the thought of engrossing Naruto in Uzumaki culture. And, his mind jumped in anticipation for the day he would see the famed Uzumaki prowess in a battle once more. Kurama could not stop the grin that split his face, his canine glinting dangerously in the natural lighting of his penthouse.

However, his grin dropped rapidly. He had not engaged with another person on a truthful, real level in over a decade. And, a traitorous part of Kurama's psyche that he thought he had crushed long ago filled his chest with apprehension and nerves. Naruto did not know Kurama _Uzumaki, _but rather, Naruto knew _King _Kurama. He did not know of the man that would show him unending support and love, but instead, Naruto knew the man that showed unending murder and rage to Republic City.

There were few options for Kurama to turn to. This problem had morphed his, HIS, chest into a writhing slop of anxiety and nerves, so Kurama ceded himself to the thought of… not finding help but rather, _practicing _this sort of connection before he connected with Naruto once more. While Kurama's throat swelled and his jaw tightened at the thought of connecting with a non-Uzumaki, the thought of pushing Naruto away seized his heart for two beats.

The first thought was to talk to one of the girlies that Naruto allowed to hang off of him, for Naruto trusted them, and Kurama trusted Naruto. But, the issue was, they were young. Naive. Korra, for example, held the black and white vision of people that Kushina shared, and would not trust Kurama. Instead she'd rather try to bend the man into submission. And, while the girl was a good bender, Kurama was a dominant fighter. Besides, Kurama prefered to not hurt Korra, not for her Avatar status, but for her status as Naruto's longest friend.

Then there was Kuvira. Kurama had gotten reports from the restaurant that Kuvira and Baatar were informed of his Zaofu men, and Kuvira knew that something was going on between the two Uzumakis. Thankfully, Suyin upheld her end of the deal, and Kuvira did not know Kurama was an Uzumaki yet. Regardless, that girl was an observer, and would likely leverage her knowledge over Kurama to force him to remove his men from Zaofu. Suyin was too stupid to do so, and had it in her head that Kurama was Naruto's cousin and not his uncle.

Kurama snarled to himself at that thought. Suyin wasn't stupid. How could she be? If Suyin was stupid, Kurama was stupid, for their ideologies were largely the same. Suyin placed family above all else, as did Kurama, so she valued her family and instead played by Kurama's rules to make sure they stayed safe. The issue was, Kuvira seemed like she would not do the same.

Asami, while friendly with Naruto, did not seem to be fully accepted by the boy, even if for the moment, and that automatically disqualified her from Kurama's list.

The man sighed from his chair, flipping the timepiece once more before placing it in his pocket. A tress of his hair fell down in front of his face, and Kurama stared at the 'red string' that Kushina had titled the famed Uzumaki hair. A snarl formed across Kurama's face, standing up in a frenzy as he threw his suit jacket across his face and quickly smoothed over his hair and pulled it back.

Fuck being nervous. Fuck worrying about who he would talk to. There was only one person whose opinion he cared about. Good or Bad, Naruto needed to kno-

Kurama's confidence died as soon as his hand touched his door knob, and the man himself fell onto his knees and pressed his head against the doorframe. Naruto had too much going on, worrying about the man in the north. Yeah. Yeah that was it. That was why Kurama couldn't tell him. Yeah, yeah…

Kurama sighed, turning around and slumping against the door. He was tired of lying to himself. He was terrified of Naruto's reaction. Kurama sat in silence for a few moments, staring up at the ceiling in thought, until the mistress floated through his door and hovered above him, staring eye to eye with the man as she came for her usual checkup. Kurama stared at her, and for once the usual anger and hatred that would flare up from his chest was absent. He knew he could never truly hate her. Practically all of Uzumaki culture revolved around her beautiful frame.

She smiled at him, reaching down her arms at him. Kurama's face slowly shifted into a soft smile, his lips remaining together. He reached his arms up, and she wrapped herself around his frame. His mind cleared, and he had his answer. Standing up, Kurama opened his door and left, the mistress floating along as she laid herself across his frame.

* * *

"Tenzin." Lin's voice prompted the master of Air bending to turn around as he stepped through the halls of City Hall, looking to the chief of police with slightly widened eyes.

"Yes, Lin?" Lin looked with her famed harsh eyes at the monk, striding forward to stand beside him, and then striding forward once more, looking back when the monk did not immediately follow. Tenzin was quick to catch up and walk beside the Beifong woman. "What is it?" Tenzin asked once more, and Lin looked at him from the side of her eye.

"It is about that criminal." Despite how vague her words were, Tenzin understood perfectly. 'That' criminal always referred to one man and one man alone. Tenzin felt the air around him get heavier as the subject matter automatically forced tension.

"And… what about him exactly Lin? Is this another pitch to try and put him in jail? You know that's a lost ca-" "It's not about that 'lost cause'." Lin interrupted Tenzin with a sharpness to her words and a dagger from her eyes. Tenzin swore he heard the metal of her uniform rattle, and he swallowed quietly.

"Well then, what's it about?" Tenzin was truthfully confused, and found it hard to hide even as he opened the door for Lin as the pair exited the grand building, stepping outside and striding about the crowds of Republic City. Tenzin wanted to say that this was the wrong environment, but well, every environment was wrong for this topic. At his side, Lin sighed, something she rarely ever did.

"I am worried about what he will do with that boy, Naruto." Lin admitted, staring at Tenzin with a weighty amount of concern in her eyes. Tenzin found himself forcing himself to not backpedal when he saw the ocean of concern splashing around in her green eyes. "He, that man is a monster. And Naruto is just a boy. _Kushina's _boy. I remember when Kushina would bring him over. He was such a… happy child. And now," Lin looked up to Tenzin once more, sadness permeating through her eyes, "His eyes don't have that spark to them anymore."

"Well, while he isn't the most… noble of people, he lives for his family and by his family." Tenzin stroked his beard as he closed his eyes in thought, looking down and using subtle applications of air bending to avoid people as they walked by him. "From my brief interactions with him, he seems to exhibit some level of fanaticism when it comes to the Uzumaki family. It's obvious he won't harm the boy."

"Yes but, what if he tries to involve Naruto in his… 'job'!? I, I won't have Kushina's little Naru get… get… poisoned by that man and his crimes!" Lin proclaimed to Tenzin in an outburst that the monk could truly say he hadn't expected. Lin was acting very, odd.

"Lin, you're missing the point here. He _won't _do that. Kushina made him swear to that. And, even in her death, the man would never betray Kushina's wishes. If anything," Tenzin looked to the sky and found a man dressed in all black standing atop a building, staring at the pair, and Tenzin narrowed his eyes, "He'll do his absolute best to ensure the boy lives, and lives on as the best possible person he can. I believe there is some level of benefit to be had to allow him to do as he wants with Naruto, besides," Tenzin looked away as the man on the building dashed away, "I don't think we could stop him regardless." Lin growled as he said so.

"No, no there is definitely something we can do. That monster isn't untouchable. Isn't invincible. We could-" "Lin! Please! This is nonsense!" Tenzin grabbed her shoulders and shook her, staring intensely into the woman's eyes and found fear staring back at him. "Listen, Lin. I know that man isn't a good person. Everyone knows that. But, he doesn't use his strength _or _his empire to take over Republic City, and I know you know he could. Besides, there are much more pressing matters to attend to. Amon is still running amok this city and he presents a bigger problem than Kurama right now. Not only that, but we have to make sure Suyin's dance goes well, and make sure Korra is properly instructed!" Tenzin reminded her, letting go of the frazzled woman's shoulders and stepping back slowly, staring at her, before sighing and rubbing his forehead as the woman quietly composed herself.

"I'm just worried Tenzin."

"I know. I am too. Have you seen his eyes? Naruto's eyes?" Lin looked at him.

"His eyes? I already said they don't have his old spark."

"No. No that's not it." Tenzin walked forward, placing his hands behind his back as he breathed to try and compose himself, Lin following shortly behind him. "His eyes… He's got murder in them. I worry he may try and appease the mistress through blood rather than beauty." Tenzin admitted, and Lin looked to him with her mouth dropping open very slightly, before she grunted and snapped her mouth shut, her brows furrowing.

"We can't exactly teach him about that." She grumbled, looking off to her right with her arms crossed.

"I know. Only one man can. You see the conundrum here?" Tenzin glanced over his shoulder, watching as the gears in Lin's head worked.

"Yeah… Gah I wish we could just tell him." Lin growled, flexing her hands at her sides. Tenzin nodded, thoughtful.

"I don't know if it would be so bad if we did." He muttered, Lin looked at him with wide eyes.

"No. You know we can't. We don't _know _enough about that to teach him. That whole situation is too… delicate. Look at Kurama. He can't bend because of it." She reasoned, throwing her arms out to her sides in a rare display of emotion. Tenzin remained calm, focused, despite his shock at such blatant emotion from the usually guarded woman.

"We don't know if that's why he can't bend. He could always be lying about not being able to bend." Lin's brows furrowed at his words.

"No. No he wouldn't. The man's prideful to a fault. And his motions in a fight, he flows much like a waterbender. Kushina admitted to me that she remembers him crying to her about losing his bending to that the woman in the air."

"The mistress Lin, that's what they call it. I have a theory it may be a spirit, because my father seemed to wholeheartedly believe Kushina. I used to hear them speak to each other about a woman in the air, but they would always stop when I entered the room." Lin looked to Tenzin with bright eyes.

"Did Aang ever talk to you about how he found Kushina? That may cast some light on the situation." Tenzin shook his head slowly.

"No. My father was as tight lipped about that as he was about the night I was made."

Lin grunted, the pair walking calmly beside each other as the sun began to descend slowly over Republic City, bathing the sky in a golden orange hue. The duo continued to walk with each other in a strange comfortably tense air with each other, until eventually they passed by the long bridge that lead to the pro-bending arena. Lin leaned across the railing that prevented people from falling over into the ocean and stared at the arena, Tenzin standing beside her as he stared at the horizon.

"Some of my sources are saying Amon may be planning something when the Championship game arrives." Tenzin nodded, stepping forward and placing his hands slowly onto the railing, standing tall even as Lin continued to lean, staring at the arena with a calculative gaze. "I'm worried about what sort of statement he may try to make if he does make a move."

"We will deal with that when the time comes. For now, let's focus on making sure we are ready for such a move. Keep your troops in top condition, make sure they're-" "I know Tenzin. You act as if my record isn't perfect." Lin groaned out in an annoyed fashion, and Tenzin groaned as well. The pair sat together in silence, and Lin scanned the bridge. A bobbing head with a sun atop of it caught her eyes and she couldn't stop herself from smiling as she caught a brief glance of Naruto's face.

"He's here you know, Naruto's here. Wonder if Korra is too." Lin spoke softly, turning to look at Tenzin and watched as the man's face morphed into that of anger.

"What!? She should not be involving herself with such a… such a… barbaric sport! It's a mockery of bending!" Tenzin exclaimed angrily, speed walking across the bridge, Lin following.

* * *

Naruto groaned out loudly as he roughly sat down in a stadium seat beside Asami and Kuvira, staring at the arena with wild intrigue flashing through his eyes, excitement clear in his grin. Kuvira sat to his immediate left, and Asami to Kuvira's left.

"So, how do you think she'll do? Bein' the-" "Remember Asami, that's still a secret. As much as you seem to be a cool girl and all," Naruto looked at the girl, and was surprised to see that she seemed to be eagerly awaiting his words, "We weren't planning on letting you know. We kinda," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Don't really know you that well."

"Hmpf. Yet." Asami muttered, and Naruto chuckled as she puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms. Kuvira remained quiet between the pair, staring down at the arena as the announcer began to get raised up on his platform.

"Alllllllllllriiiiiiiiiiggggggghhhhhhht ReeeeeePuuuuuuuuuuuuBliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiC Cityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!" The man drawled on in his, should be, trademarked tone, causing the crowd to explode into loud shouts and excitement. The man grinned, holding his arms out and waiting for the shouting to die down.

"Alright, we've got two great matches lined up for you today! The first match will be between the reigning champions, The White Falls Wolfbats and the Ba Sing Ze Badgermoles!" The crowd cheered, and chants of "Tahno! Tahno! Tahno!" began.

"Who's Tahno?" Naruto whispered to Kuvira, but Asami heard him and perked up with an excited look.

"Oh oh oh he's the leader of the White Falls Wolfbats, they've won the championship 3 years in a row!" Asami told him excitedly, bouncing in her seat. Naruto nodded, looking back to the arena as the excitement died down. The announcer grinned, raising the mic to his mouth once more.

"And the next match will be between the fiery rookies the Fire Ferrets and the Capital City Catgators!" The crowd cheered as well, though there were no chants for specific players. Naruto looked around, shifting in his seat, looking down at the arena. The two teams were being slowly pushed to the stage by the platforms, and as they set foot onto the actual ring, Tenzin's angry face came into view in front of Naruto, the monk standing with furrowed brows and crossed arms.

"What is the meaning of this!? Where is Korra?" Tenzin demanded, his voice rough and angry. Naruto barely had time to notice Lin behind the monk before Asami stood.

"Korra's in the gym, she has a match after this one. Why don't you two sit down an-" "Absolutely not! I will not allow Korra to participate in this… this mockery of bending!" Tenzin shouted, stomping his foot and subsequently forcing a blast of air to blow his robes everywhere in an angry fashion. Naruto sighed, staring up at Tenzin.

"She's gonna play the match whether you want her to or not, you know that Tenzin. Just sit down, let's talk about this." Naruto reasoned, gesturing to the two open seats beside him. Tenzin went to shout again, but Lin pushed past him roughly and sat down next to Naruto, crossing her arms and even one leg over the other, staring at the arena. Tenzin groaned, sitting down and pushing into his seat, crossing his arms in an angry manner. Naruto glanced at him, and then back down to the arena where the champion team was already on the verge of winning.

Naruto noticed many illegal moves such as phase changes with water, headshots with fire and earth, and even flat out water boxing. Naruto glanced over at Tenzin, and his mind set to work. Kuvira glanced at Naruto as he did so, curious.

"Tenzin, I believe you should allow Korra to participate in her pro-bending games." Naruto began calmly, staring at the arena as the champions finished off the opposing team, the arena erupting into cheers, preventing Naruto from hearing Tenzin's loud shout of "What!?", though he saw the man's face afterwards.

"Hear me out, did you watch any of that last match?" Naruto asked, looking at the man, the monk reeling back in disgust.

"Of course not! Why would I watch such a-"

"Alright point taken. Well, if you had watched, you would've noticed quite a few illegal moves. The champs are playing dirty." Naruto's statement prompted all beside Kuvira to stare at him as if he had grown a second head. He looked at Lin and Tenzin, glancing briefly at Asami, before shrugging his shoulders.

"I studied up on the rules after my match. I was curious. I saw 3 things the champs did that were illegal. First, that Tahno guy phase changed some water into Ice, that's illegal. Second, his teammates went for headshots with Fire and Earth, only water is allowed to hit headshots, so that's illegal. And third, Tahno attempted to use some water boxing technique, that is barely even a bending technique and violates a few range rules set in place."

"This sport is even worse than I thought! Why isn't the ref doing anything?!" Tenzin shouted out angrily, slamming his fists on his arm rest. Naruto chuckled, shaking his head, though Lin perked up slightly.

"They paid off the ref. It's rather blatant now that you point out the moves they did. I had no clue those were illegal." Lin admitted, looking to Naruto and finding the boy staring at the arena with eyes that were oh so dangerously similar to Minato's. Tenzin looked over at the two, appalled.

"Regardless, that's not the point here. What I'm saying is," Naruto leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and resting his hand on his bundled hands, staring intently at the arena as Korra's team was pushed by the platform into the ring.

"Korra is inexperienced in real fighting. Her entire life has consisted of spars designed to test her ability as a bender. She is not used to the concept of an unfair fight, or even a real one at that. If Korra makes it to the championships, she will rapidly find herself facing off against such tactics. It would be a good learning experience." Naruto explained, watching as Korra settled into the rigid style of waterbending taught to them by Katara. Tenzin looked between Naruto and Korra, and sighed.

"But that is under the assumption she even makes it to the championships. A slim chance like that is not enough to sacrifice the calm environment of the Air Temple." Tenzin counted, and Naruto nodded his head, though his eyes gleamed as he watched Korra get brutally countered by an Earth disc due to her rigidity, pushing her back into the second zone.

"During my match, as brief as it was, I found myself substantially far behind the opposing team in terms of bending skill and technique. Traditional bending is _not _favored in the pro-bending arena, and I dare say it is not favored in the world at large anymore. A perfect example is the Police Force," Lin looked at Naruto with curious eyes as the boy said so, though his sky-blue eyes were still focused on Korra's match as the first round drawled on, "Metal Bending in itself isn't traditional at all. And yet it is used to great effect."

"What does any of this have to do with Korra?" Tenzin asked, and he was alerted to the arena by a shout from Korra as she was sent careening off of the edge of the arena into the water. He turned back to Naruto, finding the boy bouncing his leg and looking at him.

"The point is that Korra will have to adapt herself to modern styles of bending, and wouldn't you rather she do it under a fun, albeit competitive, environment like the pro-bending scene rather than during a war or even against the equalists? The way I see it," Naruto returned his gaze back to the arena, grinning as he watched Korra shake her head in frustration, yet her eyes gleamed with determination to win, "Probending will make for a good, strong foundation to begin preparing Korra for the grand scheme of what her duty as the Avatar really entails."

"Uh oh folks! It looks like the second replacement in a row for the Fire Ferrets waterbender isn't looking so hot!" The announcer rang out as Naruto finished, prompting the group to look at the arena as the Fire Ferrets prepared for round 2, huddling together.

"Listen, get it together Korra. That Naruto guy may have hit the ground running as a rookie, but it doesn't look like you will. Just stay in the back and try to not get knocked off." Mako ordered in a frustrated manner, breaking up the huddle even as Korra puffed her cheeks out angrily, stepping forward and adjusting her helmet awkwardly.

The bell rang and the bending shot off in reaction. Mako sent forward plumes of flame rapidly but was forced to dodge to his right as two earth discs flew towards him. Bolin tried to counter and hit the earth bender with his own discs, but the opposing waterbender broke them in the air with a quick lash of a water whip. Korra searched for an opening with keen eyes, but was unable to find one before the opposing fire bender launched a quick flurry of fireballs towards the young Avatar, forcing her back into zone 2 once more.

Frustrated, Korra forced a wave of water out of the gutters at the opposing fire bender, sending him careening into the ropes. A loud buzzer went off loudly, and the ref threw a flag.

"Illegal move, Fire Ferrets waterbender is to go back to Zone 3!" The crowd boomed in a mix of cheers and boos, and Mako groaned out loudly while Bolin shrugged his shoulders with an awkward smile. Korra threw her arms at her sides angrily, stomping to zone 3. However, before the round could continue, a shout from her right called Korra's attention. She looked up to find Naruto standing, gripping the railing with a determined look on his face.

"Who are you!? Where's the fighter I know!? Where's the Korra I know!? Huh!? Show me! Show Republic City! If you aren't Korra, than I'm not Naruto!" Naruto's shouts rang through the stadium, and Korra found herself bouncing on her feet, pumped up. Yeah! Yeah! She was Korra! This was her night! Republic City would know her name if she had any say about it damnit!

The buzzer went off, and the bending flurry returned once more. Rapidly, Korra dodged 3 earth discs and retaliated with quick bursts of water bending sent out by her arms in a punching motion, and she grinned as they connected with the opposing Earth bender, sending him back to Zone 2.

"Yeah yeah! That's it!" Bolin shouted from ahead of her to her left, and he began to shoot earth discs towards the opposing earth bender as well. Korra seized the moment as the bender dodged, and hit him once more with two quick strikes of water, sending him over the edge of the ring. The crowd exploded.

"Wow folks! The Fire Ferrets suddenly picked up their game!" The announcer boomed across the arena, and up in the stands Naruto grinned as he sat back down in his seat roughly.

"There she goes." He spoke with a tone of joy, as if he had been waiting.

Down in the ring, Korra did not let up on the opposing team. She swung her right fist out, then her left, and carried her momentum from the left swing to jump in the air and spin, launching her left foot out. Three swift arcs of water launched into the opposing fire bender, forcing him into Zone 2.

Mako saw the timing and launched his own triad of attacks towards the opposing water bender, knocking him too into Zone 2. A buzzer rung off, and the opposing team's Zone 1 gained green lights.

"Would you look at that folks! The Fire Ferrets get the green light to advance to Zone 1 of the Catgators!" The announcer's voice rung out once more, and Asami cheered from the stands. Even Lin seemed impressed. Tenzin, meanwhile, was still observing the match with narrowed eyes and a silent visage.

Down in the ring, Korra looked up and saw the time. 1 minute left. Quickly, she dropped her eyes back to the two remaining Catgators and brought her fists up on either side of her head. She'd win this by knockout. Naruto had done it, and she would too damnit!

The buzzer went off once more, and Korra immediately fired out two quick strikes of water towards the fire bender, seeking to rid the Catgators of their primary offense early. Mako caught on to her ploy, and launched a spiraling plume of fire towards the opponent as well. Bolin meanwhile picked up onto their collaboration effort and decided to keep the waterbender from intervening, launching two earth discs his way. The Earth discs flew between the fire and water, connecting with the waterbender's water whips as the fire and water strikes connected with the chest of the Fire bender and sent him flying off of the ring.

"Unnnnnnnnnnbeeeeelivable folks! The Fire Ferrets suddenly gain their noggins and fire off a triple threat collaboration move against the Catgators and send their Firebender into the drink! Can the Catgator's waterbender survive for just 30 more seconds!?"

Naruto leaned forward in his seat, tapping his feet rapidly. He was staring with such an intensity that Asami thought he was trying to set the ring ablaze with his eyes alone, and she found herself flustered.

"No. He can't. Korra'll make sure a' that." Naruto muttered aloud, grinning as he watched Korra begin her assault.

The Avatar paid no heed to her teammates, instead taking up the waterbender on her own without prompt. She launched herself forward, sending forth two streams of water that connected with the man's chest, knocking him into Zone 3. The buzzer went off and she ran forward, bouncing on her feet while waiting for it to let her go off on the man once more.

The bell rang, 23 seconds left. Korra snapped her right arm forward, though was forced to duck to her left as a stream of water flew over her shoulder, wetting one of her strands of hair. Korra paid it no heed, eyes tracking the man's movements as he prepared another strike. His hands came upwards, water following from the grate beneath him, and Korra grinned. Naruto usually started his attacks with the very same motion in their spars. She knew how to beat this.

5 seconds. Korra motioned with her index and middle finger towards the ceiling, a thin stream of water flying up into the air. 4 seconds. Korra began to spin her body, her feet tapping along on the floor quickly. 3 seconds. The water wrapped around her dancing frame as she spun. 2 seconds. Korra finished spinning by stomping her right foot forward, sending her right hand straight towards the opposing waterbender much like the motions of lightning bender. 1 second. The water slammed into the man's chest even as he forced out his hands in a palming motion to try and create a sweeping wave of water. As the buzzer sounded off, he dipped into the drink.

"WOW what a match folks! A Buzzer Beater for the ages!" The announcer's booming voice told Korra all she needed to know if the cheering crowds that followed didn't. She'd won.


	14. Chapter 14

"_Dad!" a younger Tenzin exclaimed, jogging to catch up to his father. Tenzin's hair bounced with each step he took, and the boy could honestly say that he hated his hair, but, he had promised himself that, being so close to his final lessons and ceremony to proclaim him as a master Airbender, he would not cut his hair until he gained those tattoos. Regardless, Aang turned around and smiled at his son. The Avatar gestured with his index and middle finger, a gust of wind pushing Tenzin up into the air and onto Aang's shoulders, the identical looking men striding through the calm Air Temple Island. Tenzin laughed, feeling the air all around him as it moved._

"_So, Dad, anything interesting today?" Tenzin eagerly asked, practically bouncing on Aang's shoulders as he nearly strangled the Avatar with the grip of his calves around the man's throat, though the man acted as if he wasn't struggling. _

"_Yeah! I checked up on that spiritual disturbance I told you about, you know, the one up North?" The boy bobbed his head excitedly, grinning from ear to ear as he tugged on Aang's ears. "Well," Aang looked up, smiling to his son despite the images of blood and death that were running rampant in their freshness within Aang's memories, "I found something interesting. I think you'll be happy to meet them." _

"_Wait, them?"_

* * *

Korra felt light as air. Her euphoria kept her on her toes and her joy lifted her into the air every few moments. She was bouncing as she walk, hair bobbing back and forth as her smile beamed in the dull light of the locker room. She turned around, excitement bubbling over into a jump and a shout.

"Woohoo! We did it! Hahahahaaaa!" Korra proclaimed loudly, pointing into the air as the joy of winning washed over her and spread to her teammates. Bolin joined in her excitement, running forward and linking arms with Korra, jumping up and down while screaming for joy. Mako shook his head, though a small smirk on his face told Korra that he was just as happy.

"That was some great waterbending near the end there Korra!" Bolin told her, unlinking his arm from hers and slapping her back heartily, a massive smile on his face as his green eyes shimmered. Korra looked to him, a mighty smile matching her face with Bolin's.

"Hahaha yeah I know! I'm great." Korra stated, standing up and proudly puffing out her chest while pointing in the center of it. Mako chuckled from his corner.

"Yeah well, your bending was nice, _in the end. _Just make sure to keep it consistent next time and you'll be good." Mako offered with a confident gleam in his eyes, but Korra puffed out her bottom lip and crossed her arms.

"What's it take to please this guy?" She asked Bolin sarcastically, causing Mako to look at her with wide and confused eyes.

"What? That was a compliment!" He exclaimed as if he had been accused of murder, but Korra just shook her head and grinned.

"Yeah yeah just messin' with ya. First mistakes I made were because of nerves. I've never been in the spotlight before so… it was new." Korra explained, sitting herself on the bench and beginning to take off her uniform. Mako and Bolin nodded, Mako himself done with taking off his uniform since he hadn't taken the time to celebrate like his brother and the new girl had. Bolin grinned to himself, boisterously stepping over to Korra and plopping himself down next to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder.

"Ahhhhhhh don't worry bout' it! You did great! Besides-" Before Bolin could finish, the door to the locker room opened and Korra's face lit up.

"Naruto!" She shouted out happily, launching from her seat and throwing herself at the blonde who had opened the door.

"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed, catching Korra awkwardly and staggering back, revealing to the boys a mass of people behind him. Mako and Bolin's backs stiffened and their jaws loosened slightly because, COUNCILMAN TENZIN AND CHIEF OF POLICE LIN BEIFONG WERE AMONG THE GROUP.

Korra didn't seem to notice, tightly hugging Naruto with a massive grin on her face and tightly closed eyes as she tried to soak Naruto in every ounce of joy that ran through her body. After a little moment, Korra withdrew and looked up into Naruto's happy sky eyes with her own joyously blue eyes, their smiles replicas of each other.

"Your advice helped a lot! I just focused in the last round and and and you know how we used to do spars right and well the last guy used a move that you usually start with and and and I knew how to counter it and and and" Korra rambled off, shaking Naruto's shoulders as she did so, the boy taking it with a large, gleaming smile.

"I know I know I know, I was watching Korra. We all were." Naruto interrupted, nodding towards the group behind him with his head. Korra's eyes lit up, and then stopped when she saw Tenzin.

"I'm sor-" "Don't be. Naruto here made a good case for you." Tenzin stopped her with a raised palm, nodding to the boy with a smile on his face. Korra looked at him, and then back to Naruto, before hugging the boy once more, though Naruto took it with his own smile and spun her around.

Mako and Bolin sat awkwardly in the locker room, watching the interaction with intensely curious eyes. Bolin though didn't seem as staggered by the situation as Mako was, and instead leaned forward with warm eyes.

"You know, there's somethin' special about Korra Mako. I can't figure out what it is, but it's there." Mako mumbled out, staring with a smile at Korra despite the fact that she was spinning in Naruto's arms at the moment. Mako sighed, looking down and rubbing his forehead.

Finally Naruto put Korra down and the group entered the locker room, Tenzin and Lin standing near the door while Asami and Kuvira stepped forward further in, nearing the back wall. Kuvira leaned on it with crossed arms, observing the bending brothers for a moment before smiling as Korra approached them.

"You did great Korra! Way to go!" Asami congratulated, high fiving the girl with a beaming smile on her own. Mako found himself watching the way her hair seemed to float in the air for a moment before it dropped lazily onto her shoulders once more. Naruto watched Mako stare at Asami.

"She's special too…" He muttered to himself, watching Asami's smiling face with wide eyes. Kuvira noticed, though Mako didn't see. Kuvira breathed out of her nose with a smile, closing her eyes and looking down for a moment. Fire bender and Sato huh? She supposed she could see it.

"Oh I was so anxious near the end there Korra, but you pulled it out, and with such a determined look on your face! I knew you could do it though, I just had a feeling." Asami told Korra with a chuckle, and the Avatar thanked her with a smile, looking to Kuvira with expecting eyes. The girl's assigned guard looked up, and nodded briefly.

"What? I knew you'd do well. I've sparred you enough times to know that." Kuvira offered, and Korra laughed, the trio of girls laughing between each other. Mako watched, as did Bolin, and the rest of the room missed the way Naruto had walked over to Tenzin and Lin.

Smiling to himself, Naruto leaned his back against the wall and crossed his arms, watching Korra interact with the rest of the people in the room, Mako and Bolin joining in the conversation. Laughter and smiles seemed abundant.

"Why don't you go on over and join them Naruto?" Tenzin asked, looking to the young man's eyes and watched as a sea ambiently waved across their shining surface. Naruto nodded his head, eyes unmoving from their focus on the group.

"Nah, Korra doesn't need to hear my praise right now. She's gotten it for a… heh, _few _years now. Plus I don't really have anything to add so," Naruto shrugged his shoulders, smiling as Korra hugged Mako and Bolin in her excitement, "I'm fine to just watch." Tenzin nodded, watching the group's interactions as well, though Lin found more interest in Naruto and stepped closer to him, leaning against the wall and mirroring his pose.

"You know Naruto, you sounded eerily similar to your father today. When you were telling Tenzin all about why you thought Korra should be allowed to pro-bend." Lin mentioned, leaning closer to Naruto but not looking at him as she said her piece. Naruto looked to her, his eyes wide and desperate, before he seemed to reign himself in and looked back to Korra and the group.

"What was… What was my dad like? I don't," Naruto's brows furrowed for a moment, but they relaxed quickly, "I don't really remember them much to be honest." Naruto wanted to add that the memory of their bodies would not leave him, but he didn't want to ruin the mood. Tenzin and Lin glanced at him, and Tenzin stroked his beard when his gaze returned to Korra as the girl finally got to removing her uniform piece by piece.

"Well, Minato was a brilliant man. He wasn't a bender but that didn't matter. Minato could bend the world to his hand and make it work for him if he was devoted enough. I believe the only challenge your father ever faced was your mother. I suppose you wouldn't know how they met, would you?" Tenzin asked curiously, looking to Naruto for confirmation. The boy looked to him, and the desire told Tenzin more than enough. Nodding, Tenzin grinned.

"I've known your mother since I was a young boy. Lived with her on Air Temple Island actually."

"Wait, really!?" Naruto exclaimed quietly, this conversation didn't need anyone else's attention. This was Korra's moment, not his. Tenzin nodded with a smile on his face as he remembered the girl dashing around the island faster than he could on an air ball.

"Heheh, yeah. But, you wanted to hear about how your parents met. You see, Minato was an engineer, a problem solver. Perhaps the world's best. And he had this curious little idea. An invention. For the life of me I never understood a word he said whenever he tried to explain how he would work but the basic premise was this: He had tried to create a glove that would enhance a person's bending ability tenfold." Naruto's eyes widened and his hair even seemed to lighten in hue as he smiled.

"Really? Did it work?" Tenzin openly laughed at Naruto's question, sighing and wiping a tear from his eye.

"Like I said Naruto, the only thing that ever challenged Minato was your mother. Fate has it that Kushina ended up being his… hrm… I can't say assistant, but rather, test subject. Maybe. Anyway, Kushina put the glove on and tried to bend and well," Tenzin looked at Naruto, a face full of mirth, "Your mother broke the glove the second she tried to bend. Her bending was," Tenzin's eyes gained a far away look to them, "Something else."

Naruto stared at Tenzin and found the way the man's eyes seemed to be lost among memories that flashed across that Naruto was not allowed to see. Glancing over to Lin, Naruto found the same look, and the boy couldn't help but feel alone. Not for lack of comfort, not for lack of friendships, not for lack of people in his life. Especially not for lack of people who cared for him. But rather, Naruto was alone in a world of mystery. More and more people seemed to know his parents far better than he, their son!

Before Naruto's mind could travel down the path that darkened with each step, Lin nudged his shoulder.

"How much do you know about the Uzumakis?" She asked him, eying him from the corner of her eye. Naruto saw the scars on her face gleam in the light as she did so, before he saw Korra and co. begin to approach the trio. He looked at Lin, sadness permeating in his eyes in a staggering amount.

"Not enough." Naruto murmured, looking down for a moment before looking up again with a smile beaming on his face. Lin noticed the way it didn't touch the corner of his eyes. "Ready to go?" Naruto asked Korra as he got off the wall, looking to her for an answer. He received an eager nod, making him grin. Leading the large group, Naruto exited the locker room.

"So, Bolin, Mako. Where you guys stay?" Naruto asked calmly from the front, looking forward with relaxed shoulders and hands in his pants. From the back, Mako stepped past the group and came up to walk beside Naruto.

"Here actually. We don't have a real home, but it's nice enough." Mako answered, though he seemed guarded. Naruto nodded, staring forward with relaxed eyes. Mako looked at him, and then back to the group behind the pair as they walked. Everyone was actively engaging with each other, hell Mako thought he saw Lin crack a smile talking to Tenzin. And here he was, walking silently with the guy who caused his former teammate's spine to get shattered. Mako looked down, a bit ashamed with himself because, as bad as the Hasook situation was both him and his brother stood to gain apparently a lot more here. They already had.

Mako looked from the corner of his eyes at the calm blonde that walked beside him, head bobbing and blonde hair going up and down with each step. How did this guy have connections to so many important people? First, and probably most important, was the King. Even if only a minimal connection, a connection to the King of Republic City was a very good thing to have. And then, out of the blue the kid shows up with let's count here: 1) A girl he had just learned was the spirit damned Sato heiress, 2) Councilman Tenzin, and 3) The damn Chief of Police! On top of that, he's walking around with someone who was clearly a soldier and a girl who was, from first glance, a very skilled waterbender. Not to mention he had the ability to pull water from the _fucking air. _

Mako couldn't understand it. He couldn't fathom it. Just who was this guy? Why did he look so damn calm about everything around him? Was he really that used to situations like this?

Bolin's boisterous laughter from behind him echoed in Mako's ear.

Why the hell was Bolin so okay with this!? They were surrounded by some of the most influential people in the city, and Bolin was laughing and hanging off of their newest teammate like he had known her for years! What was going on!?

"What's bothering you?" Naruto's voice broke Mako's train of thought, and the firebender snapped his eyes to Naruto's own and found a breathtaking skyscape. The passing gleams from the lights within the arena made for moving clouds in the boy's eyes. "Hm? You okay Mako?" He repeated, eyes gaining a concern in them that Mako was conflicted because of. He decided that if he was ever to figure out just what the hell was going on with this guy than now was the perfect time.

"I just don't get it." Mako expressed quietly, walking a little closer to Naruto so that the group conversing behind the pair didn't hear their conversation. Naruto's brow rose and his gaze returned to his front before he spoke.

"Don't get what?" His voice was calm, serene. Mako couldn't understand why.

"How can everybody be so calm right now? 2 of the most influential people in Republic City are walking right behind us. I had trouble when we were in the locker room, but it's just getting worse. The Chief of Police is literally 5 feet away from me!" Mako exclaimed in a forceful whisper, and Naruto thought he may have begun to understand Mako a little bit.

"I lived on the streets for a year you know." Naruto began, glancing over to Mako and watching the way the boy's eyes widened and some sort of comraderie formed in them. "Did you and Bolin grow up on the streets too?" Naruto asked, curious. Mako stuttered, and merely nodded. Naruto smiled.

"Ah that makes sense. Figures you'd be freaked out right now then. I was that way too. But, you know Mako, they're just people." Naruto offered, shrugging his shoulders at the boy. Mako's eyes opened a little. "I mean, yea they've got a lot of power and all but at the end of the day they're the same as you and me. Just, people. Lin's got a hard as nails reputation but she's a nice person if you just talk to her. Tenzin's nice enough already as a monk. And everybody else with us is our age so you shouldn't have trouble with them." Naruto explained, looking to the door of the arena and opening it, propping it open with a subtle use of some ice at the bottom of it for the rest of the group.

Mako looked to be in thought, and Naruto decided to let him think. It didn't take long for the intense firebender to decide his next question.

"That doesn't explain why so many important people seem to revolve around _you. _Who are you really? The Avatar or something?" Mako asked seriously, staring at Naruto with intensely serious eyes. Naruto chuckled to himself.

"Not, but I know the Avatar if that helps." Mako threw his arms up in exasperation, groaning and rubbing his forehead.

"If you're not the Avatar, then… gah just, why do so many important people know you personally? What about you is so important?" Mako hadn't intended to sound rude, but as he finished he realized he did. Thankfully Naruto didn't seem to mind, in fact, the boy's eyes seemed to grow that extra bit softer at Mako's rude question. Naruto laughed through his nose.

"That's the thing Mako, I'm not somebody important. Nothing about what I do or what I aim to do is important." Mako looked to Naruto with new eyes, observing the way Naruto's smile hadn't been at the corners of his eyes this whole time. "Mako," Naruto strode closer to the boy and threw his arm around his shoulder, drawing him in. "Those people behind us?" Naruto pointed his thumb at his chest, but Mako knew he meant the group walking behind them. "They're the important people. But me?" Naruto palmed at his chest with an incredulous look, "No. The best I can do is try and help them, so that's what I do. Maybe that's why they keep me around, maybe it's the good ol' Naruto charm, who knows. Point is,"

"You boys seem like you're the best of pals huh?" Asami's voice came up from behind the pair, and they both looked up from their little huddle to see the Sato heiress walking next to them, smiling at the pair of them. Naruto, being ready for something like this, laughed and unlatched his arm from around Mako's shoulder.

"Ahhhh nahhhh, Mako here was just telling me about how he likes your hair. Says it's beautiful." Naruto ignored Mako's horrified face, but grinned when he saw the way Asami's face lit up and her eyes danced like flames.

"Really? Mako, you really like my hair?" She strode passed Naruto and closer to the firebender, leaning into his personal space. Mako smiled, and Asami copied it. Naruto looked at them, and took a lead once more, a gap forming again between him and the group at large. The usual anger in his chest morphed. Changed. Shifted. It became sadness as he finished what he was going to say to Mako in his head.

_Point is I don't matter compared to them._

He was alone. Not for lack of comfort, not for lack of friendships, not for lack of people in his life. Especially not for lack of people who cared for him. But, Naruto was alone because he decided to be. Because if he confided in his friends they'd only be dragged down by his lonesome. They'd be pulled away from what really mattered. They'd get mad. And, eventually, Naruto would end up pushing himself out of their lives by piling all of his problems atop of theirs. And, deep down, Naruto knew that was what he really feared.

Not a smiling murderer. Not the terrifying Kurama that seemed to never leave him alone. Not even death scared Naruto. What Naruto really feared was losing the people he cared about. He chest felt hollow even admitting that to himself. Looking up, Naruto found that even the mistress seemed to float further away from him today. And, despite how hollow his chest felt, and how he could hear the waves of sadness echo in said hollow chest, Naruto smiled. Because, he hadn't lost them. And, if he had anything to say about it, he never would.

Naruto was so scared of losing them that he would rather fight an army alone than with their help. His death did not mean anything. Their deaths meant everything.

Looking forward again, Naruto settled into the comfortable gap. That separation. They could converse. They could talk. He could still hear them. He could feel their smiles as they beamed on his back. He could hear the elation in their voices. He could feel the waves of happiness that died out when they cascaded across his back. That's all that mattered.

Not his hollow chest. Not the smile that seemed to be everywhere tonight. Not even the tear that dropped from his eyelid but was quickly thrown into the air with a subtle movement of his index. Because, they smiled. And so, he smiled.

Had Naruto known more about the blood that ran through his veins, he would've realized that it was natural. He was an Uzumaki. He didn't live for himself, he lived for others. And that, that was the most Uzumaki thing he had done all his life. And he'd been doing it since he first took breath.

Naruto's jaw quivered, and he waterbent his tears back into his eyelids as he smiled to himself, trying to quell the ravaging sea of sorrow within his hollow chest in fear that the reverberating echoes would leave his body and be heard by all who knew him. A step to his right brought Naruto's attention away from his sorrow, and the sea in his chest calmed instantly in reaction.

"You okay Naruto? You're quiet. You're never quiet." Korra asked, walking next to Naruto with concern swimming across her eyes. Naruto looked into them, and for a moment he felt the mistress claw his throat and attempt to make him speak, but he wouldn't let her. They mustn't know, Korra _especially _mustn't know. With everything she would have to do in the coming years as Avatar, spirits above Naruto would kill himself if he impeded her destiny. Naruto smiled at her regardless.

"Yea I'm fine, just tired." Korra nodded, withdrawing from the conversation and returning to the group behind him. Naruto chuckled to himself at the pathetic excuse that _worked. _It only reaffirmed for himself how little his problems meant in the grand scheme of things. The mistress withdrew from his form and he could feel the vestiges of anger dripping off of her as she left. He didn't even have his delusions to walk with anymore.

"Guys, I think something's wrong with Naruto." Korra spoke as she rejoined the group, though Asami and Mako were too busy conversing with each other, Bolin and Kuvira were discussing differences between Earth bending and Metal bending, and Lin and Tenzin seemed to be laughing over nostalgic memories. Korra found herself getting angry. Didn't they understand?

"Guys, I said there's something wrong with Naruto." She spoke again, a little louder this time as she watched Naruto's form stumble forward and quickly regain its balance. Asami separated from Mako for a moment, looking at Korra with a calming smile.

"I'm sure he's fine Korra, he'd say something if something was wrong." Asami joined Mako again before Korra could retort.

"Kuvira?" Korra asked, and the soldier withdrew from her conversation briefly.

"Yes?"

"I said I think something's wrong with Naruto." Surely Kuvira had to be concerned too, right? Kuvira always seemed to know when something was wrong with Korra, so it should be easy for the soldier to see that Naruto wasn't quite right too, right? Kuvira glanced at Naruto's form, frowned, and then turned back to Korra.

"I think he's probably just tired. He'll be fine tomorrow morning." Kuvira quickly rejoined the bending conversation with Bolin, and Korra found anger boiling in her chest. What was _wrong _with everybody right now? Surely, _surely _Tenzin would be worried.

Stomping right up to the man as the group neared the end of the bridge, Naruto stopped and waiting for them with his eyes locked onto something in the street, Korra tapped Tenzin's shoulder and forced the man to look at her.

"Yes Korra?"

"There's definitely something wrong with Naruto, we've gotta help him." Korra forced out, looking over to Naruto's unmoving form. Tenzin looked as well, and back to Lin briefly, before sighing and placing his hand on Korra's shoulders.

"I think… I think it's best we leave Naruto alone right now." Korra couldn't stop her fury from acting up.

"But why! He clearly needs our help!" She demanded, throwing her arms out to her sides and gesturing to the still unmoving Naruto. Tenzin sighed once more, his age showing more and more with each passing second. He seemed conflicted.

"If the issue is bad enough I am sure Naruto will bring it to us seeking help. It's best we leave him alone." Tenzin's tone was one of finality, and the man turned back to his conversation with Lin. It seemed that at one point they had shifted to talk of Equalists, but Korra didn't care, staring at Naruto's backs as the group began to say goodbye to the bending brothers.

Naruto stared forward, eyes calm but darkened. He was used to seeing the grin. He was used to seeing the mistress in the air that he had convinced himself so very intensely was real. He was even used to smelling the scent of his parents periodically. These delusions he was fine with. He was used to them. He could deal with them.

But, he could not deal with the image of his parents lying dead in the exact spot where they had been murdered. His mother's intestines were spread away from her body, and people were continuously trampling them even in the late night. His father's blonde hair was bloodied from the pool that seemed to stretched outward endlessly from his immobile corpse, and his blonde hair was continuously dirtied from the bottoms of the feet from the mob that walked across his body. Naruto chuckled dryly to himself, turning away and striding behind the group headed for Air Temple Island, head down.

He figured no one would care about walking on their bodies.

* * *

_Alright I know I ask for reviews every chapter but seriously I __**need **__them for this chapter. I rewrote this, I kid you not, 14 times. So, please please please please __**please **__review this chapter and let me know how you feel about where this story is headed. If enough people hate this chapter and what it could potentially mean for where the story is headed, I will most likely rewrite it. So, if you have **any kind of opinion **on this chapter **for the love of god review**. Two more things._

_**KUVIRA AND ASAMI ARE STILLED PAIRED WITH NARUTO**_

_Good, didn't want any confusion there. _

_2\. Think I might want to get a Beta set up for this story because I'd like another person to bounce ideas and plans off of. That would've helped __**big time **__for this chapter. If anyone decides they want to Beta, it wouldn't necessarily be like fixing grammar and spelling and things like that. It would more so be leaning towards the conceptual side, or basically like I said, bounce ideas and plans off of each other. Help plan the story and a chapter. DM me if you're interested, I've literally never had a Beta so new experience for me hahah. Anyway, again,_

_**Seriously please review this.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_A theater. Gleaming. Gold. An almost obnoxiously long bridge led to it. Everything looked so familiar, so recognizable, and yet it was entirely different and distinct from what he knew. Perhaps it was because his view was much shorter. Much smaller. He knew that somewhere in the back of his head he was missing something. A thought or maybe a memory. He just couldn't figure out what. _

_He looked towards the bridge and felt happiness flood his puny chest and make it swell up in excitement. A sign posted near the light pole told him why. It was the night of his favorite play, Ron and Julie! The sign read in big red letters "A Parody" beneath the title, but he didn't know that word. It didn't matter to him, Ron was such a funny guy! And Julie was pretty! He swung his arms and jumped up and down, excited. His small frame felt weightless, wrong. Where he should have felt some modicum of power with each pump of his arms into the air he felt nothing. He also didn't feel that was an issue._

_Nor did he think the blurry image of his vision was an issue either. It had been blurred since he had opened his eyes. It was blurry and warm, and so airy. Like he was floating through clouds. A hand ruffling his hair told him he was on the ground. Maybe it was mist he was floating through. He turned and smiled at the faceless visage, red hair streaking down from atop a blurred mountain to flow endlessly across the street. He giggled._

_Tugging at her face and pulling, the skin followed his hands like putty and formed tubular lengths that wrapped around his frame like chains. He openly laughed. His childish peal sounded weird to his ears, but again he didn't think anything was wrong. _

_Another faceless visage appeared behind the endless red lengths and tubular skin. Golden hued hair beamed from atop of its figure and glowed like the sun. He felt himself laugh as he was hoisted up into the air and thrown a little. When he landed in the arms of the sun, he tugged and pulled on the sun strands._

_The way the gold melted into a darker red than what ran from the other's head didn't bother him. It didn't feel wrong, so it wasn't. His laughter filled the air again. He jumped around when he was set on the ground, and he pumped his hands into the air between the two faceless figures beside him. He didn't recognize them, and certainly didn't know them. That realization alone blurred the world until it became one singular white expanse. _

A drop of red shattered the expanse. Shards of white disappeared and flittered out of existence becoming the dull appearance of his room at the Air Temple. A hand was rubbing his shoulder lightly as to rouse him from whatever slumber he had been in. Did he dream last night? He couldn't remember. Groaning, he rose and rested his weight on his left elbow, rubbing his eyes with his right hand until the world focused a little more and he found an older man sitting on his bed.

"Good morning Naruto." The world sharpened and his mind got up to speed when his name was uttered. Right. He was Naruto… Uzu… Uzu… Uzumaki. The name sounded weird to him. Shaking his head, Naruto looked up at Tenzin again and nodded in a tired fashion.

"Morninnn… Where'sss…" Naruto mumbled, still a little sluggish even if his mind had caught up to speed on his reality.

"Korra? She left with Kuvira to go practice with her pro-bending team. I believe she was complaining about an early time slot for practice or something." Tenzin answered the question Naruto had barely even registered he was trying to ask. Shaking his head once more, the blur of his conscious cleared and Naruto yawned. Sitting up straight and stretching, Naruto nodded to Tenzin and smiled.

"Guess she missed yesterday's practice then huh? We were too busy with lunch and that aptitude test thing. What was that for anyway?" Naruto asked, heaving his legs over the edge of his bed and ruffling his hair to rid it of the dust and dead hairs that accumulate during the night. Tenzin took a seat beside him on his bed, robes laying across the surface lazily.

"Oh, well… Tarrlok has always seemed to have an," Tenzin thought to himself for a moment, trying to find the right word for what he was trying to say, "Odd interest in the Uzumaki. Though, it may be more of an interest in your mother than the Uzumaki as a whole." Tenzin remembered when Tarrlok had asked Kurama, with a greedy smile on his face, if the stocky scarlet haired man could wield the water in the air as his sister could. Tarrlok ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks from '_a random, incidental satomobile accident' _if Tenzin remembered the reports correctly.

"Oh." Naruto muttered, mouth forming the very shape of the word as his eyes peered out at nothing, apparent in his wandering thought. Tenzin looked at him, and waited for the inevitable questions about his parents that would follow.

"Well, why's he so interested in specifically an aptitude test?" The question wasn't the one Tenzin had expected, and he couldn't tell which he would've preferred. His eyes gained some weight to them, the bottom eyelid making him appear tired.

"Tarrlok is trying to make an appeal to the Council for the approval of the formation of a task force lead by Tarrlok to deal with the Equalist movement. So far he has been unable to get even a single vote. But,"

"If the Equalists make a more aggressive move he'll have free reign to do what he wants, right?" Naruto finished for Tarrlok, and the man's eyes widened if only a fraction when Naruto's jaw seemed a little more angular, his eyes a little sharper. Minato was staring at him, if only briefly. Tenzin responded with only a nod. Naruto hummed.

"Well," Naruto groaned as he got up, skin shimmering in the sunlight as it peered through his window, "I guess I wouldn't join if he asked anyway." Naruto explained, reaching into his drawer and grabbing a hefty pair of his traditional southern pants. Navy blue for today, like every other day. Tenzin exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Good. Violence is certainly not the answer to this… divide. The Equalists are a group of frenzied people searching for a leader to tell them what to think." Tenzin spoke his mind, always amped up and prepared to speak about the Equalist problem. Naruto, though he stayed silent, found that perhaps he disagreed with Tenzin's sentiment. Regardless, the boy pulled on his light blue shirt, watching as his mother's pendant smacked onto the fabric when he finished.

"Shall we have breakfast together Naruto?" Tenzin's offer made Naruto smile.

"Yeah, we shall." He mocked the word choice with only the greatest amount of mischief present in his voice.

-Line Break-

"-so you bend the two discs up and" Bolin shot the first disc out with a right jab motion and immediately followed the other with a left uppercut. The second disc impacted the bottom of the first moments before they hit the net, sending the first rapidly into the top of the net and the second near the middle of the net, "You can hit them with an uppercut and a gut hit at the same time! Got that," Bolin turned around, big arms resting by their hands at his hips and a big grin on his face, "Kuvira?"

Kuvira nodded, hair pulled into a long braid instead of the usual bun. The soldier also forewent the long green garment, choosing to wear sweatpants and a tank top instead. Bolin had been surprised at how toned her arms were, though he wouldn't tell her that.

Kuvira stepped forward, hands raising into her normal boxing stance. Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she fired off her right jab and followed quickly with the same uppercut motion that Bolin had used. The discs flew from the pile at a comparable speed to Bolin and acted in much the same way as Bolin's demonstration. She grinned to herself when Bolin cheered.

"Man, I didn't think you'd pick Earthbending up this quickly." Bolin admitted, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward smile and a laugh. Kuvira laughed as well, mainly because she was an Earthbending master already, and watched as Mako stepped forward from behind his brother.

"Oh come on Bolin, Earthbending and Metalbending are essentially the same thing. They're both from the same discipline." Mako chided, though Korra stepped forward from behind him with her own chiding finger pointing upwards in the air.

"Actually, Earthbending and Metalbending basics are entirely different. Metal bending is far more precise," Korra opened her eyes and found Kuvira nodding as was Bolin, though Mako looked at her with a raised brow, and she quickly added, "from what I've heard anyway." Yeah. She wasn't the uh, heheh, Avatar or anything. She was just a waterbender. Right. Right.

"Yeah see! I'm not stupid!" Bolin yelled in an annoying fashion, sticking his tongue out at his brother. Mako groaned, towel in hand.

"Never said you were Bolin. Geez I didn't know alright?" Mako spoke in an annoyed tone, but Bolin just huffed and turned away haughtily. Korra found herself laughing. Kuvira had already stepped towards the net again and was rapidly practicing the same move, trying to see if she could get the speed of her metal out of this unruly earth.

"I already passed the mastery test for Earthbending anyway. Its sort of a precursor to begin learning Metalbending." Kuvira explained, though she was far too focused on trying to master this technique to look at the group as she spoke. Korra laughed at how exasperated her words made the bending brothers. Mako was the first to recover.

"Well, anyway," Mako began, walking towards Korra and standing beside her, throwing the towel onto his shoulder and crossing his arms, an intense look on his face as he stared into her eyes. "I was thinking we need to work on some wider sweeping moves for you today. I noticed during the match that you're great at single target attacks, but waterbending is the best multi target element in pro bending, so we need to get you used to those types of attacks." Mako explained, and Korra nodded with an intense look in her eyes and a bob of her hair.

So they began to train.

-Line Break-

"I think I need to start training."

Tenzin looked up from his food to the boy that sat across the low table from him, the boy's golden hair greeting him back as he raised a fork piled with food on it into his mouth, and then pointed the fork at Tenzin with big eyes and a puffed out cheek,

"And seriously too." Naruto spoke through chewed food and spit, but Tenzin understood and watched as the boy continued to eat.

"Why do you want to start training Naruto? Isn't my mother's training plenty enough?" Tenzin asked with curious eyes and forced himself to not narrow them in his thoughtful intrigue. Despite how he may have acted last night, he did know that something was bothering Naruto. He was trying to see if he could figure out what it was. Naruto looked up, and his eyes were a perfect replica of the sky. Despite his mastery of air, Tenzin found he couldn't read the winds as they flowed in the skyscape he was staring into as well as he wished he could. Naruto swallowed.

"Oh well, you know," Naruto began as he cut into the pancake on his plate once again, looking down at his plate, "Korra's practicing her Airbending, and Kuvira's got her soldier training," Naruto finished cutting off a piece and stuck it into his mouth, looking up into Tenzin's eyes with wide, energetic skies in his eyes, "I just don't wanna fall behind them, you know?"

Tenzin nodded, and Naruto smiled. Not because it was a good day, or that the conversation was pleasant or anything. Not to say that it wasn't but that just wasn't what made him smile. He smiled because Tenzin didn't seem to question his answer. It was so much more than not wanting to fall behind. If that was the case he would've gone to Katara everyday for more training, but he hadn't gone once. No. The real reason was because Republic City, because _King Kurama _had forced Naruto to open his eyes wide the moment Hasook's spine had snapped in two like a twig.

He'd have to try so much harder if he wanted to protect what mattered.

-Line Break-

Kurama stared at Suyin as the woman happily walked about Republic City with her son in tow. He watched from his spot atop one of the roofs. He'd been following her since yesterday, because for all his might and all his bite, Kurama did not have the confidence to speak to her like he wanted to.

Suyin would understand, Kurama knew that. Suyin would understand what he was saying, would _get _the way his chest knotted and tightened until his lips followed suit. She would get all of that. And she would be able to relate. To help him. Surely. She was as family-oriented as Kurama was. She would understand.

She already knew about Naruto being his family. It didn't matter that she assumed they were cousins, for their real relation held no relevance in the matter. He just had to know. He had to confide in someone about this. And it seemed best to go to Suyin. But,

The business with Naruto was the most important thing, to Kurama, that was going on in Republic City at the moment. Nothing else mattered. Not Suyin's dance, not Tarrlok's little ploy for power, not even the Equalist movement mattered. Nothing. For, he could deal with all of those things easily.

A mess up at Suyin's dance? Kurama had numbers. _Talented _numbers at that. And if they fell to whatever enemy (probably Equalists) presented themselves, Kurama was not stupid in thinking he could solo them all anyway.

Tarrlok's head got too big with a new task force to inflate it? Kurama had killed a council member before. He'd killed whole Police squads. And gotten away with much worse than both of those before. It'd be another Tuesday to him.

Amon, that bloodbending lier, made a move and started a civil war in Republic City? Fuck it, Kurama would publically join in and kill _anybody _on the battlefield. What was the death of a few benders compared to the peace of Republic City huh?

But, if something messed up with Naruto. Kurama fumbled his words, confused the boy, _**spirits forbid he scared the boy off permanently**_, Kurama was certain he would fare far worse than he would in any other situation. Any other conflict. For, _Kurama narrowed his eyes and sighed while resigning himself to just continue watching Suyin_,

How would he pump his heart if it decided to stop?

-Line Break-

"There aren't many options for a waterbending teacher in Republic City, at least," Tenzin looked to Naruto with contemplating eyes, "not ones that can actually teach you much more than you know." He finished, and the boy nodded, expecting the answer. His plate was nearly empty.

"Well, you said there weren't many, so that means there's some. Who are they?" Naruto asked with a cheeky grin as he shoved some more pancake into his mouth. Tenzin closed his eyes and sighed, running through the options in his head. Really, there were two.

The first, and probably the best option were the context to it different, was the non bending King of Republic City, Kushina's faitherful older brother and Naruto's uncle, Kurama. Despite having his bending stripped from him, somehow, the man had at one point wielded the full capacity of an Uzumaki's bending prowess. Tarrlok knew, for Kushina had told him stories of her prodigious older brother who had sculpted the biggest face out of the ice. Tenzin still didn't know what she meant, but he knew that Kurama was skilled nonetheless. Though, Kurama wasn't exactly an option that Naruto could go to, which only left option two.

Tarrlok. Tenzin hated to admit it but the man _was _a master waterbender. A skilled and dominant fighter. Tenzin had fought him to many standstills during their younger days. Back when spars wouldn't be cause for political rumors. But, Tenzin just knew that if he sent Naruto to train with Tarrlok the man would certainly try and get the boy under his thumb, his influence. He sighed, figuring it was best to just tell the boy himself and hope for the best. Tenzin wouldn't be able to stop him from seeking out a teacher anyway, and he supposed it was better if the young Uzumaki was at least in Republic City instead of somewhere up North.

"Well, there's really only one option. And I don't think you'll like it," he began as Naruto finished chewing the last bit of his pancakes and stared to Tenzin with expecting, waiting eyes. The monk frowned. "Tarrlok would be able to help you." Tenzin watched with hidden horror at the way Naruto's eyes lit up and a determined glint to them added a cloud in his skyscape.

"Well," Naruto began, standing up and looking at Tenzin with intense eyes, "Guess I'll have to talk to him about that. Hopefully he'll teach me." Naruto spoke, and Tenzin rubbed his forehead as he stood as well. Tarrlok would accept Naruto before the boy even asked the question. Hopefully nothing too bad would come out of this arrangement.

Naruto from his spot in front of Tenzin allowed the corner of his smile to drop a fraction as he hummed his way towards the kitchen to wash his dish. To work with Tarrlok, that manipulative and greedy man… Naruto knew he'd have to. He had resigned himself to whatever he needed to do in order to gain the strength needed to protect what mattered.

Even if he had to drag himself down to do it.

-Line Break-

Korra dragged herself up off of the ground after having been knocked flat onto her back by a two-hit combo launched at her by her bodyguard, friend, Kuvira. Her chin hurt.

"Damn Kuvira, didn't think you'd get the combo down that well that fast." Korra told the girl as she rubbed at her chin, and jokingly thought to herself that she felt a crack in her jaw. The soldier grinned, dropping her boxer stance and walking over to Korra, chuckling when she approached the tanned girl.

"Hey what can I say," Kuvira grinned in a bragging manner, arms out to her side, "It comes naturally." Korra and Kuvira laughed with each other, and then Korra bent some water out of a pouch at her side and brought it up to her chin, the water glowing slightly as she began to heal her aching jaw. Kuvira's brow rose.

"Oh you're a healer too? I figured since Naruto was that you wouldn't of bothered to learn." Korra looked at Kuvira with confused eyes, her cheek coming up and crunching her left eye slightly.

"Huh? Naruto can't heal, _he _was the one that said he wouldn't need it. I only learned it because he kept getting his butt kicked in our spars back in the compound." Korra told the soldier at her side, but it was Kuvira's turn to get confused.

"What? But," Kuvira pointed to her cheek where a very thin line, a scar Korra realized, rested, "Naruto healed a cut I got from a spar." Kuvira explained, and Korra's brow rose and her eyes widened slightly.

"What? But," She looked down, hand still on her chin as she continued to heal her aching bone, "He wasn't there for the lessons… I wonder when he learned it." Korra muttered to herself, and found irritation begin to grow. It seemed that since coming to Republic City Korra was learning that Naruto was hiding many things from her, and it bothered Korra to no end. She was his best friend she deserved to know! And if that for some reason wasn't enough, she was the damn Avatar! What couldn't he tell her? So what if he could heal, that was a good thing!

Korra's furrowed brows were interrupted by the arrival of Mako and Bolin, both fully dressed in their everyday clothes once more. Mako was frowning, but Bolin looked happy.

"We gotta go early today. Toza's kicking us out of the gym to clean it or something." Mako explained, groaning in annoyance. Bolin came up behind him, boisterously throwing his arm around his brother's shoulder despite their height difference and grinning at the girls,

"You guys want some food?"

-Line Break-

"Naruto, before you leave, I've got a question for you." Tenzin's voice stopped the young man as he neared the door. The boy stuttered his steps forward until they stopped, spinning around with a little dramatic flair and staring at Tenzin with raised brows.

"Yeah?" The energy in Naruto's voice made Tenzin question if he should even bother continuing, but he had seen what Korra had. He knew more than Korra too. He couldn't not ask the boy.

"Is everything alright Naruto?" The mood of the kitchen dropped as did Naruto's ambient smile, though the boy's eyes didn't lose their energy. Sighing, the he closed his eyes and walked over to a counter, leaning against it while gripping the edges with his palms.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lil' tired but that's just me not being able to sleep with all this cool stuff happening. Heheh," Naruto looked up at Tenzin again, grinning, "Couldn't stop thinking about how cool Korra looked last night." Tenzin discovered that Naruto, like his father, was very, very good at deception. Tenzin only knew he was lying because Naruto's tell was the exact same as his father.

Their eyes would dilate a fraction.

"Ah well, I figured I should ask. Korra seemed to think there was something wrong with you last night."

They both also had a massively exploitable weakness for the people in their lives. He watched as Naruto's grin dropped and his lips formed an O, the sky in his eye dimming a little bit.

"She did?" His voice was much smaller, quieter. So unlike Naruto that Tenzin believed he was being introduced to Minato once more, the man had been timid their first meeting. Tenzin's eyes were tempted to narrow, but he didn't.

"Yeah, was really worked up about it. I figured you were only tired, and that's what I told her but," Tenzin exhaled, looking off to his side for a moment to relieve himself of the weight that came from deceit, before locking eyes with Naruto again, "She seemed really adamant that something was wrong with you. Figured I'd ask." Tenzin explained, looking at the boy with a straight face. Naruto nodded, looking down and grinning. Tenzin watched how the corners of his eyes didn't crinkle like they had been doing all morning.

"Oh well, that's Korra for you. Always worrying too much about the little things. It's…" Naruto paused, and his grin reached the corner of his eye for a brief moment before he looked up at Tenzin, "Nice." His voice was soft, small. Tenzin felt disturbed, but at the same time he sympathized with the boy. The weight of further deception silenced Tenzin's lies and only allowed the truth to come out.

"You know Naruto, you don't have to deal with whatever it is that's bothering you alone." Naruto looked down again, counting the tiles of the kitchen floor while his hair swayed in the ambient wind that was ever present on Air Temple Island, "There are many people who would be happy to help you out. You help them more than you know Naruto." Tenzin remembered how Korra's frustration always seemed to vanish when Naruto showed up during her airbending practice. The boy nodded, though he didn't look up, finding the floor much more interesting. He also found that his deception was worthless in the face of someone he deeply respected for his unending generosity and kindness to even those he disagreed with.

"I… I don't want to involve them." Naruto looked down more, hiding the details of his face with the shadow of his hair. "They have more important things to deal with, especially Korra. My issues are irrelevant so I just try to deal with them before anyone notices." Naruto admitted, and then looked up to Tenzin. He forced his smile to reach the corners of his eyes even if it hurt to do so. "But believe me, if things got bad enough I know I've got a lot of wonderful people to go to." Tenzin found the answer satisfactory enough to grin and pat the boy's shoulder, but each pat felt as if it was feeding into the sorrow within Naruto's hollow chest, melding shame with sorrow and loathing. Naruto left without looking Tenzin in the eyes even one more time.

-Line Break-

Kurama found himself strangely nostalgic as he watched tears fall from the two siblings -recently orphaned- and was surprised that even some pain had wormed its way into his chest. He knew why. They reminded him of the way Naruto was for the first month or so he spent alone. That thought alone brought an idea to Kurama's head. Kneeling to their level, Kurama's eyes gained a softness in them, the violet tones a mirror of the softness Kushina regularly exhibited. Kurama found it difficult to do so, but nonetheless he did it for the kids.

He patted their shoulders from a distance, refusing to bring them in for a hug because they did not smell of Uzumaki, but comfort was something he could still give out to children at least. Shaking his head and rid his own thoughts of such eugenist ideals, Kurama reached for the necklace that jingled on his neck. He pulled it off, revealing it to the children as it shined in the light of their, not theirs anymore, apartment. The girl, the oldest of the two, managed to restrain her crying if only for a moment to grab the necklace and look at it. She cried more. The boy cried because his sister was crying. Kurama felt he could relate to the children even more than just as repeats of Naruto. The softness in his eyes disappeared as he forcibly hardened himself to his own emotions. He rose.

"Come on," His voice was rough, demanding. The children looked up, and their tears faded out of perceived obligation. Kurama looked at them from his position, standing above them. "We're gonna go see someone." The trio left, the little boy clinging onto his older sister despite the fact that she wanted to cling onto him.

-Line Break-

Naruto had waited half an hour on the arena bridge before deciding he would get a little more comfortable while waiting for Korra and Kuvira to finish up their training. He had caught sight of his parent's bodies and decided to seat himself near them, back against the alleyway where his mother's intestines stretched into from the street. He stared at the bodies, eyes unmoving as his hands hovered on his knees.

Naruto was unsure what to think if he was honest with himself. Republic City had caused so much change within his life in only a manner of weeks, and the last two days had changed everything even further. He could suddenly pull water from the air, something he had never known he could do. Suddenly he was seeing more than a grin in the clouds, now seeing even some sort of entity that was too beautiful to be real, and bodies on the street that he knew were long gone. Suddenly his parents, the bodies in front of him, had stopped simply being those he had lost and had become those he never had, never knew.

Suddenly the mother he had known for her sweet kisses and warm hugs had become a fierce water bender, a shining prodigy. Suddenly the father he had known for gentle smiles and playful rubs of his head had become one of the top engineers on the planet, a genius among geniuses. Suddenly his last name stopped being his last name and instead became a title akin to the Beifong or Sato title. Naruto wondered whether his name would stop being what he thought it was and would become some sort of mark.

He sighed, bringing his head up to rest on the wall and stare into the sky. The sky hadn't changed. The clouds remained clouds, the blue remained blue, and even though Naruto could feel the water that flowed through the winds, the wind had remained the same. He supposed the sky would never change. He had a sudden regret that he was not an airbender before he crushed that thought in his head. He had always been a waterbender, to be anything but would be another change.

Perhaps that was the real issue he was having. Not hallucinations, not buildups of anger and sorrow, not fruitless thoughts of murder and blood. Perhaps the real issue he was having was change. Republic City had changed nearly everything. His life had taken a sudden metamorphosis, a sudden turn. And, if he was honest with himself, it seemed that everyone around him had benefited while he had suffered for it. He smiled despite himself.

He wouldn't change anything that had happened. For all that he had lost, his perceptions, his understanding, his foundation of the world, Korra had gained much more. Korra had gained more than his measly support, more than the defense of ice walls, more than days spent doing the same monotonous bending exercises. Korra had gained what she had always desired. Where Naruto shied away from change, Korra embraced it. Korra craved it. Naruto laughed through his nostrils when he realized it. Because, for all he told himself he would do for Korra, to the point of lay down his life for her should the need arise, he had been completely content to live out the rest of their days within that compound. The same compound that had been slowly stealing the life from her sky blue eyes.

He closed his eyes, feeling the way the wind and the subsequent water within it flowed across his body from the alley way to the street. He smiled despite the pain that had built itself up within his chest. Korra had finally gained what he could never give her. What he had tried again and again to provide. What he had strived to do. What he had dedicated himself to. Korra had gained true support. Not a goofy smile or some stupid joke. Not some measly body of flesh to tug on and beat on whenever she needed to relieve some stress. And most certainly not the idealistic lies and idiotic sayings of some hallucinating fool.

Korra had gained another teacher. One that would teach her both a new discipline of bending as well as an entire second half of her experience as the Avatar, her spirituality. Korra had gained a true sparring partner that both challenged her in the ring as well as defended her outside of the ring with flying metal. Korra had gained a team to compete with in the sheer name of competition as well as two genuinely good men for her to have fun with.

How did Naruto compare to that? What had he offered? A smile? What did that do? He chuckled to himself at his own pathetic nature. He looked down from the effort and found his eyes trailing the intestines of his mother as they stretched through the alley way, forming an almost oppressive circle around his chosen spot to sit, and found some semblance of relief drip into his system for a moment.

He did have one thing of value to offer Korra. One, admittedly, probable waste or irritation when the time came. In the moment Korra could face injury or loss, defeat, Naruto could shoulder it for her. Could take that knife, carved near the tip in a hook like fashion, and allow himself to be gutted instead of her. Allow himself to sheathe the knife within his stomach so that the knife would never find itself piercing the tan skin of the Avatar. For what was his life compared to those around him? What was his measly, pathetic excuse of an existence compared to the likes of the Avatar, an accomplished soldier of Zaofu, and two skilled bending brothers?

He felt a poke at his right shoulder, and his thoughts stopped immediately. He turned his head, wide eyed, to find two teary eyed and sniffling little kids standing next to him. One obviously older blonde girl and a younger brunette haired boy. Kurama's intimidating form stood behind them from a distance, and he stared at Naruto with soft eyes. Naruto didn't even know if the man knew what the word soft meant, and found that those eyes did not belong on his violet hue.

"Uhm, uh sir," The girl spoke, her voice cracked and dried. No doubt due to crying if the red of her eyes and the stains on her cheeks were anything to go off of. Naruto looked to her, wide eyed. "My name's, sniff, L-Lucy and this here is my widdle' brother Luke." Naruto felt his jaw drop open slightly to part his lips, his mind empty.

"Go on," Kurama's rough voice echoed over the three younger people, eyes narrowed and arms crossed, "Tell him what I told you to tell him." Despite the roughness of his voice and the intimidating posture, the girl nodded shakily and looked to Naruto with big green eyes. She began choking up, mouth opening and closing as her eyes filled with tears and she stuttered her breathing. Naruto's heart choked up and he reached out, clasping his arms around her and pulling her into his embrace, eyes wide and shaky as he looked at the ground while embracing her. The boy began crying too, diving into his gut and wrapping his tiny arms as far around his waist as he could. Naruto looked up to Kurama, eyes wide and fear waving across their surface. What had this man done to them?

Kurama looked to Naruto, pride swimming in his eyes, before sitting down next to him and sighing, looking into the sky. The sound of the children crying was muffled by the furs at Naruto's waist. Kurama tried to ignore it.

"Their father died yesterday." He said bluntly, and thankfully the children seemed to not be able to hear him over their cries. Naruto nodded, pulling the siblings a little closer to his frame having heard the reason why they were so distraught. He could feel his shirt start to stick to his skin with how wet it was. He looked to Kurama, eyes asking for more. Kurama closed his own, looking down towards nothing.

"Their mother only 2 years ago. Their father, Louis," Kurama pointed to the dog tags that had gotten wrapped around the girl's neck in a weird fashion where it rested in between her shoulder blades, "worked for me." Naruto looked at the dog tags with a new light, but Kurama shook his head, staring at the bridge to the arena from the corner of his eye, unable to look at the children.

"No, no Louis was a good guy. He only worked for me because I pay well. It's hard to support two kids off of the minimum wage here in Republic City. Downright impossible even. He was a dedicated family man through and through, willing to work with the likes of me to make sure his kids could eat." Kurama explained, and Naruto found that the dogtags became a gleaming beacon of something to be respected. Kurama silently stood up, turning to look at Naruto over the shoulder of his suit.

"Take care of em, Naruto. I know you will." His piece said, Kurama walked away from the trio silently. Naruto watched him leave with shaken eyes. Though, the good news was that the children seemed to have cried themselves into a sort of calmness. Thankfully. Naruto wasn't sure that even with waterbending he'd be able to dry these clothes now. Not that he mattered, drying their eyes was more important.

He looked down at them, smiling into their puffy red eyes with crinkled eyes. He reached over the girl's shoulder and grabbed the dogtag, adjusting it softly until it rested above her belly button from the adult-length of the little rope.

"Take good care of that, ok?" He told her with a soothing voice, and the girl nodded as if in a daze staring up at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. Her brother watched, and then began to cry.

"I wan, I wan, I want something to take care of." He sniffed and stuttered, beginning to cry. Clearly he wished for something to remember his father by, but it was more so something to fill a hole in his heart at the moment. Naruto understood that well. Very, very well. The noise of something unclasping brought the little boy's eyes up to Naruto who was holding a necklace in his hand, tiny little round pendant hanging off of the end of it. The boy watched as a spiral symbol gleamed in the sun.

"Don't worry I gotcha'." Naruto comforted, reaching around the boy's neck to clasp his mother's pendant around. He pulled back, watching with the least bit of discomfort as the pendant gleamed. It was weird though, to be truthful, to see the pendant on someone other than he. He found he liked the way it looked though. The boy grinned, as did the girl, and they both looked up to him with happy little smiles, though their eyes still swam with sadness.

He smiled again, bringing forth all the warmth that was buried underneath the unmentionably cold rage and sorrow with his chest to fuel the smile, and the children seemed to glow a little red at his smile. Hopefully it warmed the cold of their sorrow.

"Alright," he began in a breathy fashion, shifting a little to accommodate their weight on his legs better, "What're your names again? Sorry I kinda forgot." Naruto laughed at himself, rubbing the back of his head in an awkward fashion. The children laughed with him and Naruto smiled in response. The girl looked up to him first.

"My name's Lucy! And I'm 9!" She shouted out happily in a cheer, raising her arms into the air and subsequently forcing all of her weight onto one of Naruto's calves. He didn't let the pain reach his face. He smiled at her and turned to the boy who was grasping the pendant desperately.

"My name's Luke! I'm 7!"

"9's bigger than 7!" Not even a second after the boy finished the girl added her sassy retort, closing her eyes and placing her hands on her waist. The boy looked to her, a mischievous gleam in his young eyes.

"But 7 8 9! Hahahah!" He laughed in an attempted evil manner but it just came out as childish peals. Naruto could see the way they both seemed to unconsciously be forcing the laughter and laughed alongside them.

"Alright Lucy," Naruto nodded to Lucy who beamed a semi-toothy smile up at him, "And Luke." Naruto nodded towards Luke who flashed a less-toothy smile at him, but regardless a smile. Naruto smiled at them.

"Alright, let's go get food yeah?!" He cheered, and they cheered too. Naruto felt as if a little of the warmth he had passed to them returned to him and subsequently warmed the cold of his sorrow if only a little. He didn't look at the bodies of his parents as he lead the children away from the alleyway.


	16. Chapter 16

_Tonraq crouched down and beared the weight of his hefty frame on his toes as he looked into the eyes of a small, dirty boy. He could see the flecks of dirt and the smears of grime in the boy's blonde hair. He could also see brilliantly bright blue eyes piercing the dirt to shine into Tonraq's admittedly duller blue eyes. The boy smiled, raising up a cup that jingled from the motion as well as an index finger to pair it._

_A little eel made of water trailed up from behind the boy, obviously from some cup filled with water behind him, and raised into the air. Tonraq watched with an amused smile as the eel grew teeth and eyes all at once, swirling in the air until it splashed down onto the blonde's head and seemingly knocked him down, though any observant person could see the way the boy skillfully bent the water just around his face and head to fill the cup behind him once more. It was a nice sleight of hand maneuver, especially for a… he'd be 6 now wouldn't he? Tonraq fought off the grief in his chest._

_While the boy played dead, hand over his eyes, Tonraq dropped 5 gold coins from the Southern Water Tribe into the boy's cup and watched as he became rejuvenated instantly, jumping up and checking his cup with no small amount of fervor. Tonraq's lips broke into a toothy and white smile, rubbing the boys head when he looked down into the cup. The blonde's head snapped up and away from Tonraq's arm, clutching the cup to his chest and staring into Tonraq's eyes with his own narrowed and defensive gleam._

"_It's ok boy I won't take your money. You earned it after all. That was a neat little trick you pulled with your water." Tonraq's attempt at a soothing voice came out about as rough as he expected, but regardless the boy's eyes relaxed and he set the cup down, behind him this time. Well, it was a start at least. _

"_Don' catch yur' meanin' sir. Ain' a trick," the boy stared up into Tonraq's eyes with a mischievous gleam in them, smirking at the large man, "Water eel attacked me outta' no-er' sir!" Tonraq laughed at the boy's humor, and the boy laughed with him, if only for the extra jingle in Tonraq's pockets he heard when the man laughed. _

"_Name's Tonraq, what's yours boy?" The boy looked up with puffed out lips and narrowed eyes, before giggling and standing up. _

"_S'don't matter sir, I's just a street boy. Yur' a…" the boy leaned his head to the side in a confused manner, staring at Tonraq's clothes, "errrrrrr… yur' a… poli, poli," the boy put his index on his chin in thought, trying to recall the word that he had heard the adult's use. The boy's face lit up and he snapped his fingers, "Yur' a poli-tick-see-unn ain't ya?" Tonraq burst out laughing and nearly fell over when he held his gut from his loud, boisterous laughs. Passerbys looked at him with raised brows._

"_No no no, I'm here to take ya' home with me." The boy's face lit up._

* * *

"So who're we facing tonight?" Korra asked the question that she had been waiting to ask all morning while digging into her noodles with a dismal amount of interesting, picking at them with her fork while supporting her face with her hand and pushing up her cheek in annoyance. This Narook's noodle place didn't compare to Ichiraku's, really. Mako looked up from his noodles with raised brows and rapidly slurped them down.

"Ah well, we get a by for the next week or so actually. They did our bracket up to semi's this past week, so this week will be the other bracket up to semis. We get a free week to practice or do personal things. My vote's for practice." Mako explained and began to dig into his noodles again. Korra nodded and resumed picking at her noodles until a thought arose.

"Wait, does that mean we have to play the Champ's for semis?" Bolin and Mako both looked to her with amused eyes, gulping down their food and grinning to her.

"Nope. Tahno and his crew get a free pass to final's because they don't play by the rules. Speak of the devil, there he is now." Mako groaned out and put his head lower to the table, quietly eating his noodles. Korra leaned over the back of her booth, looking with narrowed eyes towards the black haired teen with a single large tress of hair at the right side of his face as he was surrounded by women at every end. He glanced at her with a haughty gleam, the fires of his ego burning in them before he rolled his eyes and sauntered over to his booth, a private one Korra noted to herself. She groaned loudly and flopped her body over to face the group once more, Kuvira on her right glancing at her before returning to her food with a respectful grace, though she too prefered Ichiraku's.

"You're telling me that's the guy we gotta beat?" At their nod, Korra looked to him again with narrowed eyes, the man grinning toothily at her with half-lidded eyes, "He doesn't look like much."

"He's not. He uses far too many illegal moves to suggest he has any real talent in bending. Naruto seemed to think that it would be a tough match for you guys though." Kuvira mentioned while glancing over to Korra to catch her reaction. The girl looked appalled.

"What?! If he's got no skill it should be easy! And, and if he's using illegal moves… well then we'll use illegal moves too." She reasoned, but Mako shook his head while munching on his noodles.

"No no, the refs will be watching us with an extra critical eye. We'd have to play by the real rules, and strictly, against Tahno's team. Besides, that's if we make it to the championships anyway."

"Oh come on Mako, we'll make it!" Bolin exclaimed happily while shoving some noodles in his mouth, "Yoush jushht got to believe!" He finished his noodles, and his words of encouragement, by pumping a fist into the air defiantly until he shrunk away at the clearing of a throat by the man of topic who was standing above them with an egotistical gleam to him eye.

"Is this the pathetic rookie group that's been making so much noise? The Furious Ferrets or whatever?"

"It's Fire Ferrets." Korra answered in an annoyed growl, crossing her arms and glaring up at Tahno in response. The man looked to her with bored eyes, before scanning the rest of the group.

"Where's that blonde guy?"

"Naruto's not here, and he'd never wanna talk to a jerk like you anyway." Korra mouthed off with her arms still closed and her lips puffing out in her growing annoyance by Tahno's mere presence. The man chuckled, his eyes still half-lidded as the women at his sides laughed with him.

"No no, I don't want to talk to him. I wanna let him know what happens when someone tries to take my spotlight in the ring. That little trick he pulled by getting water from the air was cute and all, but he needs to know his place. Though," Tahno grinned, and Korra found herself disgusted by it, "I guess if he's not with you all," Tahno paused, chuckling dryly with his eyes permanently half-lidded, "He already knows his place then and ran before I could get him huh? Heheh." Kuvira glared at him, angered by his disrespect of Naruto, but the man looked to her and his upper eyelid rose a brief stint. He pointed to her.

"You. Come to my booth. I can show you some real company," Tahno looked to the bending brothers who were looking down submissively, and ignored the tanned girl that was clambering for his attention angrily in front of Kuvira, "Instead of this common rabble around you. You have some noble qualities about you," Tahno looked up to avoid Korra's glare, "So you're better off at my lap than at their side." He finished, and before Kuvira could retaliate Korra stood up and glared into Tahno's eyes, rearing back a punch. The man's eyes opened fully and he grinned.

"Do it little girl." He goaded quietly, eyes wide and intense. Kuvira stood up and grabbed Korra's arm, pulling the girl back to sit down.

"Let him go Korra. He's trying to goad you. If you punch him you might get banned from the arena." Kuvira reasoned out roughly, and Korra's glare lingered on Tahno's goading eyes before she huffed and turned to Kuvira with annoyed eyes.

"Fine, but I'll get him for bad mouthing everybody like that."

"Make sure to throw one in for me, and two in for Naruto." Kuvira responded back with a grin, and Korra grinned back to her as Tahno stepped away haughtily.

* * *

Childish peals and squeals of laughter filled the atmosphere of Ichiraku's Sushi, and the two semi-toothy smiles of Luke and Lucy reflected the lights onto the marble counter. Naruto's own toothier smile did the same, and his eyes gleamed with an ever present joy to them. Teuchi and Ayame were laughing with them as well. The entire group were watching Naruto water bend a little fairy tale above the marble.

"-nd then, hehehe, he became a pumpkin!" Naruto finished energetically, his brows shooting to his hairline and the sky within his eyes beaming a brilliant blue with a massive smile on his face. The siblings burst into laughter, Teuchi chuckled heartily while shaking his head and stirring a big bowl of ramen, and Ayame giggled while leaning over the marble to watch Naruto's little water-puppet show with intrigue. The other patrons in the store looked over but did not comment.

"Naru-Naru! Another one another one!" The children demanded while jumping in their seats, tugging and pulling on Naruto's shirt with absolutely giddy excitement. Naruto shook his head, rubbing theirs, and sitting them down when the ramen was placed in front of them.

"Oh shush now you two, we've got food! Dig in!" Naruto announced happily as he began to tear through his food, though a couple bites in Naruto noticed that the siblings to his side were staring at their bowls with inquisitive faces, brows scrunched in concentration. Slurping loudly as to draw their attention and elicit a few laughs from them, Naruto sighed out contentedly and leaned over.

He dramatically looked to either side of him, even leaning over his shoulder and scanning the restaurant, before bringing a hand up to whisper to the children with big eyes.

"They say if you don't like it…" he glanced around again, before smiling to the children, "That's just more for me!" They laughed again before Lucy took her fork loudly and slammed into the bowl with gusto, wrapping a few noodles around the end of it before shoving the bundle into her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut while chewing. Luke and Naruto leaned forward in unison, staring with wide eyes while waiting for her reaction before the girl squealed and began jumping while gripping onto Luke's smaller frame.

"Luke! Luke! It's good, It's good!" That was all the convincing the sheepish boy needed to begin digging into his own bowl, and Naruto smiled a small, warm smile as he watched the two little siblings enjoy their meal with zest. Teuchi starred as well with a mirrored version of Naruto's smile.

"You were the same as them Naruto." He spoke quietly, neither of the two looking at each other, finding the children's enjoyment much more interesting.

"They are…" Naruto staggered, his breathing sharp and quiet as he grit his teeth, warmth building in his eyes, "_Far _too similar to me." Anger boiled in Naruto's throat, and Teuchi looked to him with thoughtful eyes before nodding, a sad gleam working its way over the old chef's eyes as he looked to the two, _orphans. _Teuchi sighed, patting Naruto shoulder.

"They'll get it free too." He muttered, and Naruto nodded graciously. When the children finished, Naruto smiled from eye to eye and picked Lucy up, placing her on his shoulders while Luke clung to his leg. Ayame gathered their bowls and noticed that Naruto had not taken a bite after he had eaten to show them it was good.

Naruto walked through Republic City with the children in a calm silence, at some point picking Luke up and holding him when the crowd became a little too large for either of the boy's liking, but overall a serene calm had passed over them. At some point Lucy had gotten tired of holding up her body on his shoulders and used his head as a sort of pillow to lay on, lacing her arms around his face and clasping her hands around his chin, resting her head on his hair.

Naruto had lead them to the ferry that would bring the group to Air Temple Island, intent on securing their stay on the island with Tenzin or at least Pema, knowing both would be perfectly fine with it. Naruto also hoped to at least get them set up in his room if there were no other rooms available.

When they arrived, Naruto was surprised to find Naga staring at him with her massive tongue lolled out to the side. The children screamed in fear, Lucy pulling on Naruto's hair painfully and Luke nearly choking the Uzumaki when he pulled himself desperately up Naruto's chest.

"Ack, it's, Kah, Okay!" Naruto choked out while Luke held onto his throat in dear life, though his words seemed to calm the two. What really calmed them was when Korra stepped forward and began to pat Naga on the head, cooing to the large polar bear dog before looking to Naruto with wide eyes.

"Naruto? Is that you? Who're, who're the kids?" Korra asked with a raised brow and a curious smirk adorning her face, though Naruto deadpanned to her while setting the siblings down. When he raised his frame up again and lead the two off of the ferry, he smiled softly as the two ran forward with unrelenting curiosity and a need to explore the strange island that they had only seen from afar. Naruto watched them with warm eyes, and Korra looked at Naruto from his side with her own soft smile. Naruto's words killed it though.

"They were recently orphaned." He whispered, his throat choking his breathing when it dried and grated against itself. Korra looked back to the children with wide eyes, her teeth peeping out from her lips when she drew a breath slowly. She turned to look at Naruto and watched the way his jaw muscles moved slightly with how tense his jaw was.

"I am going to get Tenzin to let them stay here, maybe even have them bunk with me." Naruto explained. The boy blinked as warmth built in his eyes and began to burn from his lower eyelid. "I won't let them live on the streets." He muttered to himself, forcing back the warm tears that threatened to spill over his eyelid and onto the expanse of his cheek. Korra nodded and took a step towards Naruto, going to throw her arm over his shoulder and pull him close until the boy stepped forward quickly, shaking his head. She watched him walk away with concerned, hurt eyes.

* * *

Sorrow.

A mainstay of his life.

Down on his luck, money having eluded his hand for a good 3 years, he had made a ploy.

A triad formed.

A year later found him as the leading individual of the second strongest gang in Republic City; The Triple Threat Triad had earned their reputation through Fire, Water, Earth, and Blood.

Zolt had earned his through Lightning.

The day he had been branded by the newspapers as Lightning Bolt Zolt had been the day that his perspective of Republic City had changed.

Republic City was not the Republic that it toted even in its very name.

Republic City was a _monarchy. _

The King had slaughtered his wife with his bare hands.

Zolt remembered asking himself, how.

How could you tear through a person's chest with such ease with just the tips of your fingers?

And now, 13 years after the incident, sorrow returned.

The King had slaughtered his son.

Magma seethed within his chest and became streaks of lightning that periodically sparked across his frame.

This anger was in vain.

What could man do to Antichrist?

Zolt found solace in drink.

His thoughts kept him sober.

* * *

"Heyyy Korra where's theeeee…" Bolin's yelled question died out as he crossed a corner to find a small, dirty brunette child staring up at him with massively wide blue eyes. Bolin looked around awkwardly, unsure of what to do because the kid clearly wasn't an airbender, before he chuckled awkwardly and waved with a strained look on his face. "H-Heyyy there little guy, do you know wh-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" The boy screamed in response, jumping back and running away from Bolin with a terrified look on his face. For some reason, Bolin felt the need to chase him. He wasn't scary! The boy needed to know that he was a cool guy! There was no reason to be afraid of him.

"Hey! Heyyyy! Come back!" He screamed after the boy while running behind him, his right hand outstretched and his fingers spread apart as if trying to reach for the boy. The thought of Earthbending occured, but he really didn't want to hurt the little guy. I mean, he looked like he couldn't be any older than 8 or so, if that.

The pair ran around a few buildings, Bolin finding a rare level of flexibility and reaction speed he didn't know he had to avoid the numerous air acolytes that walked about the island, until the boy took a sharp left. Heaving from having his stamina tested so roughly, by such a small child no less!, Bolin rounded the corner breathing heavily and leaned against the wall.

"Huh… Huh… Heh, Hey… You can, whewwww, you can stop running nowwwwwwww… oh. Heheh, hey there Korra…" Bolin mumbled out awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head with a massive, awkward grin on his face.

Standing in front of him were Naruto and Korra, and the little boy had jumped right into Naruto's arms, said blonde currently trying to comfort the sniffling boy while Korra took to placing her hands on her hips and glaring accusingly at Bolin.

"What'd you do to him? He's just a little boy Bolin!" Korra demanded angrily, leaning forward while waiting for his answer.

"I know I know! I was looking for you when he saw me and screamed! I was just running after him to-"

"You were _running _after him!? What were you thinking!?" Korra shouted angrily, though the sound of childish laughter silenced the boy of them as they turned to look at Naruto who had put the boy on his shoulders and was making little water puppets in the air in front of the boy. Both of them had wide smiles on their faces, their blue eyes sparkling with joy. Bolin walked up to Korra, both of them staring intently at the scene as Naruto comforted, and subsequently entertained, the little boy.

"Woah… Naruto's like, really good with kids." Bolin muttered in amazement, and Korra found herself only able to nod. They watched as Naruto giggled with Luke, Naruto's hair shining a brilliant gold in the sunlight as it gleamed through his water puppets atop his head for Luke to enjoy with his own shimmering eyes.

Korra found herself smiling as a warmth washed across her eyes. Her eyes were glued to Naruto's own. As happiness and a euphoric joy danced across Naruto's skyscape, a duplicate joy danced across Korra's seascape. The briefest hint of a blazing magma deep within them sobered Korra quietly. She loved to see Naruto happy; it made her happy. So, to see such an anger and hurt within him, made Korra hurt as well. She was angry too, because,

Why wouldn't he just let her help him?

* * *

A few hours later found Naruto on the ferry to Republic City with Kuvira. A little knot of nerves had bundled itself squarely above the burning magma and below the unnatural hollow within Naruto's chest, and he found he was most discomforted by the nervous shakes of his chest than either of the other two unhealthy sensations in his chest. So he took to leaning across the railing, watching the gentle rolls of the water as the sun shimmered off of it's surface creating random and intricate white drawings across the waves.

He breathed in slow and deep to try and quell the beast in his chest and found that it helped if only slightly, though velvet hair wrapped around his nose and strands of gold landed on his eyelashes. The magma in his chest surged and burned away the bundle of nerves into a smoking collection of ash. Naruto swore he smelt ash leave his mouth when he exhaled heavily, making sure to close his eyes should he actually see ashes leave his mouth. He felt Kuvira's presence as she leaned on the railing next to him, eying the waves with him.

"What's it feel like?" Her question was unexpected, and Naruto found himself looking up and gleaning no sense of her thoughts from the serene side of her face as the sun beamed on it. Though, he did find that the magma in his chest cooled marginally. He found his eyes lazily drifting across the features of her face before he caught himself.

"What's what feel like?" He asked quietly, not taking his eyes off of her. She turned to look at him, a soft smile on her face. Naruto found that he liked the way the sun dazzled across her soft green eyes. She pulled her lips up a little bit to form a familiar smirk across her features.

"The water." She turned back to look at the ocean, and Naruto found himself doing the same. He felt their shoulders brush as they both turned to look. She sighed, placing her cheek in her palm. "I've always wanted to know what it's like to be a bender of such a free-flowing element. As an Earthbender I am aware of the ground and the buildings and metal and… they're all so stiff. So rugged." She looked at him with a weird mix of amusement in her eyes, and Naruto found himself enthralled. The magma in his chest cooled. She smiled a little more at him before looking to the ocean again.

"But the ocean's so free. So careless. It moves without the care of foundation or building strength. Without the restrictions of earth and metal. I would ask an air bender, but with your unique bending, I figure I'd get a much better answer from you." She finished softly, looking to him as the ferry began to get closer to the Republic City dock. Naruto nodded, smiling to himself as he increased his conscious awareness of the water all around them. The way the ocean swelled and relaxed in periodic waves. The way the air current carried streams of water around buildings and the ferry they were on. Even the way the air flexed around Kuvira's curves…

Naruto shook his head and looked up as the ferry docked. He looked at the mistress and found his answer.

"It's… complicated." He chuckled as she did, the pair stepping off of the ferry and beginning the trek to the dance studio. Kuvira shook her head, the green of her dress looking a little brighter in the beaming sun. She looked to him as they walked.

"Care to elaborate?" She asked in a sarcastic yet pleasant tone, clearly amused by his less than informative answer. He laughed through his nose, looking down at his feet as he walked for a moment so he could avoid getting lost in her gaze again. He shook his head, a smile coming on his face as he could feel the various forms of the people around him through the way the water in the air moved past their frames.

"Well, I'm sure you could've guessed but the feeling I get from the water in the air is… very different from the feeling I get from other sources of water." He began, looking over to see her peering at him with interest flashing across her eyes. Naruto smiled, feeling a little bundle of warmth seat itself in the center of his chest, passion igniting.

"The water in the air feels much more precise. Accurate. I guess that's because there's less of it, but it's a little weird to be honest. To go from being so restricted and having to carry a pouch for waterbending," Naruto patted his side with a glance to Kuvira, before looking into the air, "To suddenly being able to just," He raised his hand and made a clawed pulling motion towards himself, water suddenly wrapping around his fingers in snakelike tendrils, Kuvira's eyes watching with rapt attention, "Take it. From wherever. It's…" Naruto looked down, feeling the water cascade down his arm slowly as it spread across it. Two words flashed across his mind as he felt the mistress' hands form in the water and cascade down his arm with them.

"Liberating." He chose the more pleasant option. He wasn't so sure that Kuvira would've enjoyed his answer as much as he said 'suffocating'. Kuvira nodded, smiling at him and looking around at the air in a new light.

"So what can you feel?" She asked softly, looking up with a small smile on her face. Naruto looked to her with energetic eyes, looking up with her.

"I can feel the people around us. Without focusing I can get a rough image of how many in my head, but if I focus a little more on certain people I can get a clearer image. You know, clothes, hair, even faces. Stuff like that." Kuvira looked to him with wide eyes, her mouth dropped into an 'o'.

"Wait, seriously?" Naruto nodded in response, confused as to why she seemed so shocked by it. "Naruto, that's… That's insane! I didn't think you could feel that down to such a level… I doubt even Tenzin would be able to do that, at least without a lot of struggle. How much can you actually feel?" Kuvira asked with no small amount of intrigue, standing a little closer to him and staring with intense eyes. Naruto felt some warmth worm its way across his face, and he quickly looked away towards the crowd to hide it.

"Ah-uhummmm… well I can feel a lot of things. I can feel the birds as they fly, I can feel the shapes of the buildings, I can feel… What're you wearing under your dress? It's like… sweatpants right?" Naruto asked seriously, furrowing his brows to try and figure it out. Kuvira stepped away from his, blushing and putting her arms across her body, though the feeling of the cloth on her fingers made her relax a little and chuckle.

"Uh Naruto can you… you know… not try and… ehhhh _feeeeeel _all over me, ok?" She asked awkwardly, staring at him with an uncomfortable squint to her face. Naruto was confused for a moment, before his eyes widened dramatically and he turned away from her, blushing heavily.

"Oh spirits… gahhhh I'm sorry I didn't… sorry." Naruto offered pitifully, looking down in embarrassment. Kuvira shook her head with a small smile, grasping his shoulder and pulling the boy to look at the large theater.

"Just… don't do it again anyway. But uhhh… we're here now. The Kushi Theater. I think Suyin said it was named after your mom actually." Kuvira gestured her arm out towards the theater with a grand smile on her face, ready for Naruto to start dancing. The boy merely gulped, though his mind kept the tidbit about his mother for later.

* * *

_Yo sorry this chapter took so long, just a lotta writers block. _

_Anyway, I've got a question for you guys._

_Would you like to see a side story all about Kurama's early years, i.e. Uzumaki era, and then his eventual rise to power in Republic City? Sort of an anthology type deal? I probably would write it slowly, obviously focusing on this, and might not even do it until this is finished. Tell me in the reivews._

_Also, __**I still need a beta. **__So if you like this story and would like to help me out, shoot me a DM. Thanks._


	17. Chapter 17

Drink.

Hard liquor. The hardest liquor available in Republic City.

The infamous Lightning Bolt Zolt slammed down his third empty glass of the night as his mind lulled itself into a pitiful blur of sorrow. As if lightheaded, his head rolled and floated from side to side as he leaned across his grand wooden desk in his office. The desk was originally meant as a display of power, a subtlety that went into being a mob boss, but now he was using it to steady himself from tipping over.

His amber eyes were dead, hollow. Empty. There was not a spark of life in them. Nor even a gentle breeze of sadness. Grief did not find it acceptable to grace his eye either. His eyes hazily traced the lines in the wood, trying to just _think. _

But that was why he had drunken himself into such a state, right? Because when he was sober he didn't want to think. But now that he was shitfaced all he wanted to do was think. This duality wasn't known by Zolt who was far too engrossed in his drink to form a coherent thought. The door to his office opened slowly and Kurama stepped forward wearing the suit that was customary to his appearance. From his position hunched over his desk facing away from his door Zolt didn't even register that a person had entered the room.

Kurama gazed across the room with a stone face, grimacing slightly to himself as he noticed the small spills of liquor on Zolt's desk before he stepped forward and grabbed the man from under his chest, heaving him upward and forcibly putting the man in his big leather chair. The crime boss slumped forward, head impacting the table in a meaty collision. The pain seemed to shock Zolt awake, the man raising his head in a daze to look at Kurama with his dead amber eyes. A flash of clarity and anger lit up the man's eyes. He snarled.

"Get the fu… fuck…" the man's head lolled downwards as the effects of his drink continued to plague his mind while he closed his eyes, until suddenly jolting up again with clear eyes that seethed with an unrelenting anger.

"Fuck out of my office." He finished with only a slight slur to his words, head lolling from side to side while he grit his teeth, drooling a little bit. Kurama stared forward with no reaction on his face, though Zolt couldn't think clearly enough to notice the way Kurama's jaw flexed slightly.

"You shouldn't be drinking Zolt." Kurama's trademarked growl was softer but once again Zolt was too hammered to notice. The mob boss looked up to Kurama and steadied his head while beaming a burning glare to the man. A snarl worked it's way across his face as he gestured his hand out angrily towards Kurama.

"Shut up. I can do what I want." His words were sharp, his anger clearing his slur if only slightly. Kurama narrowed his eyes as he saw the anger permeate like a miasma around Zolt's eyes, his emotions clear to see while he couldn't hide them in his clear thought.

"What I should be doin' is killin' you." Zolt growled out while trying to stand up, but his whole body became light and he found that his feet didn't hold enough weight to support him, his body flopping over onto the ground. Zolt pulled himself onto his arms, glaring at Kurama through his drunken stupor. For his part the King of Republic City merely watched. Zolt gestured a shaky point to him again, gritting his teeth.

"You took… everything from me." Zolt muttered, looking down as his mind cleared enough for images of his family to spark across his head, causing the man to grit his teeth. Kurama watched a single tear roll down his face. His amber eyes snapped open and cleared, his head sturdy and not shaking while he glared. "I am going to…" A moment of clarity allowed Zolt to deceive Kurama even in his drunken haze, "Take your life as payment. I swear it." Kurama snarled in response, striking the side of Zolt's face and forcing his head into the ground, blood seeping from a gash that opened up on his cheek. The blood masked a smirk on Zolt's face while he struggled to raise his body.

He didn't have to though as Kurama's fist bundled itself in the back of his jacket, heaving him upward and throwing him into his desk, cracking the mighty wooden ornament. Zolt groaned in pain while his hazy vision caught glimpses of Kurama striding towards him with a twitching snarl. He felt the man's hands dig into his shirt and pull him up closer to the red haired demon's violet eyes that were glowing their own mirrored amber of Zolt's eyes.

"I came here to console you Zolt, but I should've known a fool like you would think you have what it takes to kill a man like me. You're pathetic Zolt." Kurama growled lowly, dropping the man onto the ground and stepping over him. Without turning back, Kurama spoke again, "If you intend to make an attempt on my life, prepare to lose your's in the early stages of whatever plan you try to concoct." With his piece finished, Kurama closed the door to Zolt's office quietly.

From his spot groaning in pain on the floor, Zolt grinned to himself before chuckling. Even in his drunken stupor he had fooled the _King _of all people. He truly was a brilliant man.

To think Kurama would be watching his own back more intensely now, it may open up some… leeway for Zolt to take something from Kurama. The only thing the man actually cared about now.

Naruto Uzumaki was now prime target number 1 for the Triple Threat Triad.

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki was prime target number 1 for Suyin Beifong when she spotted him and Kuvira enter the grand theater hall. Suyin's eyes gleamed and a smile flashed across her face as she practically sprinted to get to the pair, grabbing Naruto's hands and beaming a massive smile at him with wide, energetic eyes.

"Ohhhh I'm so glad you came! I don't think there's any other better choice for our solo water dance, I mean," Suyin looked around at nothing before looking at Naruto with a gleam in her eyes as her teeth sparkled in the natural lighting from the glass ceiling, "Who else could be better than Kushina Uzumaki's son to do a solo in a theater named after her?" Suyin asked rhetorically, smiling at Naruto warmly. The boy chuckled awkwardly, face scrunching into a weird smile before Suyin dropped his hands, acknowledging Kuvira with the same smile.

"Thanks for bringin' him, I can't wait to see what he can do. D'you think he's got any natural talent in dance?" Suyin asked Kuvira, and the pair begin to amiably talk in dance jargon. Naruto decided he'd ignore their conversation and instead began to fully observe the grand theater he found himself it.

It was massive, the see-through ceiling stretching into a vast dome that allowed sunlight to light the entire performance room while it was daytime. Bringing his eyes back down, Naruto stared at the massive stage that adorned the back of the room and extended into the middle of the room with a long, wide runway. Seats adorned either side as well as two levels above the bottom floor, lining the stage in deep scarlet. Naruto found that the color of the seats reminded him eerily of his mother's scarlet strands, and now that he noticed the violet walls reminded him of his mother's eyes.

Naruto walked forward and down the three steps slowly, taking in the full appearance of the theater. Everything was so distinctly… his mother. It made Naruto uncomfortable just how similar every aspect of the building was to the features of his mother. The stage was a soft cream color, much like her skin. The velvet seats reminded Naruto faintly of the way his mother's hair felt, soft as silk. His hand ghosted across the surface of the seat while his mind ghosted across what little memories of her he retained throughout his life, his finger ambiently tracing a swirl on the backs of the seats.

His eyes trailed up to the part of the stage that extended outward into the center of the room. Naruto realized now that it was the exact center of the theater, or at least the performance hall. A swirl pattern adorned the part of the stage in the center, the swirl culminating in the singular point at its center. Naruto pulled himself onto the stage, crouching down and tracing the symbol with his right hand slowly, eyes hazy and lost in the few memories of his mother he had. For a brief moment, Naruto looked further up the stage and found his mother's body strewn across, but a foot stepping through it broke the hallucination.

He looked up and found Kurama staring down at him with unclear emotions in his eyes, the type that were hidden yet visible. Confusing but there. Naruto stood quickly, a faint memory of the sound of a spine snapping getting him to his feet. The man's suit was pristine, though Naruto's eyes widened marginally when he spotted a few spots of blood splattered across the sleeve of his right arm and even a dried dot on the lower part of his jawline. Kurama must have followed his eyes, because the man grimaced and tore the blazer off of his frame, bundling it up and spitting on it to rub off the blood on his jaw.

"Sorry, had somebody I had to talk to before this. I didn't wanna miss seeing how you danced though so I couldn't get a new suit." Kurama explained as casual as talking about the weather as he cleaned his jaw of another man's blood. Naruto nodded in a daze. As Kurama was finishing up, subsequently tucking the blazer underneath his armpit and holding it casually, Suyin and Kuvira stepped forward from behind Naruto.

"What're you doing in my theater?" Suyin asked in a low voice, but Kurama smirked and lowly chuckled to himself, shaking his head and looking down.

"Ahhhh… I own the building Su'." The man didn't look at her surprised face, instead looking at the spiral symbol beneath he and Naruto's feet with narrowed eyes. He snarled slightly. "What the fuck. They fucked up the spiral. How the fuck… I thought I ordered better construction than this piece of trash." Kurama sounded genuinely angry, and Naruto found himself stepping back slightly in response. Kurama continued to glare at the wood until Suyin's raised brow prompted the woman to speak.

"What's wrong with it? The Spiral was Kushina's symbol, so it was placed in the theater. If you own it you should know that." Her tone was smug, arrogant. Kurama looked at her with a glare that seemed as if it could catch the air ablaze. His eyelid twitched before he exhaled heavily, clearly trying to reign in his anger. That surprised those around him.

"The Spiral wasn't just Kushina's symbol. It's the Uzumaki Clan emblem." Kurama looked to a suddenly intrigued Naruto and raised a brow, "Don't you notice how fucked up it is?" Naruto shook his head, confused. Kurama groaned lowly. "You don't even know the spiral huh?" He muttered, pulling Naruto close to him with a quick lance motion, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders tenderly. Kuvira and Suyin stayed quiet, watching with narrow eyes. Suyin knew more than Kuvira, but she hadn't thought about it enough to make the connection that Kurama was a relative of Kushina's too, being Naruto's cousin and all. It all made much more sense now. She shook her head at her own momentary stupidity.

"You see the number of lines that are swirling out?" Naruto nodded, and Kurama hid a grin as the boy stared intently at the symbol. "It's only supposed to be one. They put two lines. It's blasphemy." Kurama joked, and Naruto chuckled quietly. Kurama grinned at him, heartily patting his back. Kuvira and Suyin watched the interaction with flabbergasted expressions, and despite her knowledge of the pair's connection Suyin still couldn't believe her eyes.

"So this is the symbol of the… Uzumaki huh?" Naruto whispered, staring at the messed up symbol with a new light in his eyes. It still felt weird to him to see his last name as anything but. To know though, that his last name had at one point had an emblem tied to it, the reputation it carried… Naruto wasn't sure what to think. He supposed that all he could do was try to educate himself on his own family, as weird as that thought was.

"Well, I shouldn't hold you back from your dancin' anytime longer. I'll be watching from a seat somewhere." Kurama told Naruto, patting his back and stepping down into the seats as Suyin's other dancers began to fill in from the entrance.

"Wait, what were the Uzumaki like?" Naruto asked before Kurama could fully walk away. Kurama turned to look at him. Naruto and co watched as a predatory, arrogant, prideful, _dominant _smirk slowly bled across Kurama's face, his eyes lighting with glee.

"Strong." was his simple answer.

* * *

Asami watched with furrowed brows as Korra tried, and failed, to entertain the two little kids that had taken residence on Air Temple Island. The blonde girl and brunette boy were huddling together, continually backpedalling from Korra whenever she tried to approach them. They maintained a distance. Korra seemed annoyed.

"Oh come onnn, I don't bite!" She tried to appeal to them, but they shook their heads and continued to stay away from her.

"We're waiting for Big Bro!" Lucy shouted childishly, the pair of children having been waiting near the Ferry Dock since Naruto had left. Asami had actually arrived to this very same scene but a few minutes ago. Korra groaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Didn't Naruto tell you he'd be gone for a few hours? He'll be back tonight!" The children merely pushed out their lips in defiance at Korra, who groaned and sat down on the dock, resting her cheeks on her fists. Asami shook her head with a smile on her face, striding forward and sitting down next to Korra as well.

"I'm guessing Naruto had something to do with them staying here?" Asami asked jokingly, receiving an annoyed nod in return. The little boy that had been cowering behind the blonde girl poked his head out, curious. Asami smiled at him, and he seemed unsure. He began to whisper to the girl.

"Well, they certainly are lively." Asami chuckled at her own words, but Korra didn't respond, merely staring at the children. Asami looked at her for a brief moment before the boy poked his head out again.

"Who're you?" He asked timidly, and Asami smiled at him. Korra seemed flabbergasted, and then quickly scrunched up her face into an annoyed scowl.

"My name is Asami Sato, would you like to tell me your's?" Asami asked in a soft voice, careful to remain seated as to not scare the kids away. The boy looked up to the girl, who only nodded at him slightly, before he looked to Asami again.

"My name's Luke. You're pretty." Korra blanched while Asami smiled at him. Korra looked between Asami and Luke with pure shock in her eyes.

"Wha- and I'm not!?" She demanded, but Luke cowered behind the girl once more, scared. The girl backed up, holding Luke and narrowing her little eyes at Korra, who reigned in her anger and slumped even further onto her knuckles. Asami laughed lightly.

"You could've just asked me their names you know. The girl's name is Lucy. Naruto told me." Korra groaned out, annoyed and now depressed. Asami nodded, though she leaned over to reply, both girls still staring at the kids.

"Yea but, I figured I'd ask. Courtesy and all." Asami explained. Korra merely huffed. There was silence for a few moments until a sudden thought occured to Asami. "Where will they be staying?" The children stepped forward, curious as well. Korra just remained on her fists for a moment.

"Naruto said they'll be bunking with him. I don't know where he plans to let them sleep, unless he's planning on sleeping with them. That'd be a little weird though, right?" Korra asked, looking over to Asami who considered it while the kids were stepping forward.

"Not really. I mean, siblings sleep together all the time, and they already seem to consider him their brother so-"

"We're fine sleeping with Big Bro. Where's his room?" Lucy demanded haughtily, narrowed eyes at the two girls who, even while sitting, were at her eye level. Korra groaned and Asami chuckled.

"Let's get you two settled in huh?" Asami's soft voice made the siblings smile, and Korra mumble in an annoyed tone.

* * *

After getting the rest of her dancers up to speed on what they would be working on for the day, as well as introducing them to Naruto, Suyin beamed at the boy and clapped her hands together, staring at him with an excited glow emanating from her eyes. Kuvira stood by her having been assigned as a sort of personal mentor to Naruto considering Suyin knew she didn't really need the practice.

"Alright Naruto, first step is to ask one simple question: Do you have any experience dancing?" Suyin began, looking at him with a hopeful arch to her brows. Naruto looked at her with a certain look that brought Suyin's brow down in disappointment. "Hmm… thought so." Suyin slumped forward in an exaggerated depression, before pulling herself back up and beaming the boy a smile, "Well, s'never too late to start is it?" Naruto grinned nervously at her, nodding slowly.

Kurama's eyes drifted from the trio as Kuvira and Suyin began to instruct Naruto on the basics of dance and instead turned his gaze downward, closing his eyes and resting his head in pensive thought.

There was a great deal of things that Kurama could think about, probably _should _think about. Like the obvious attack on the dance from the Equalists that was sure to happen, or perhaps on broaching his relation to Naruto with the boy, and even before that discussing his plight on the very topic with Suyin. But, Kurama's thoughts did not wander to these destinations. Instead, he found his mental feet taking him up North, to the _Uzumaki Compound. _

Kurama had not seen the place since he had sealed it closed when the previous Avatar took he and his sister to Republic City. Even at the delicate age of 14 Kurama had precaution enough to seal the compound before he left. The Uzumaki secrets would stay exactly that, **secrets. **Even Kurama did not know of everything the Uzumaki vault held, for that matter Kurama wasn't sure if that was even their only vault.

These thoughts had been of great concern to Kurama as of late. While he wasn't worried that someone may have gotten into the compound - after all only an Uzumaki would be able to manipulate water with such precision - he was endlessly worried about the loss of knowledge on the Uzumaki's end were the compound to remain sealed for the rest of its days. And, while Kurama was not extensively concerned about his own death, should some sudden sickness quell his life, or worse _Naruto's_, that knowledge must have some way of being passed on. Or even attained at all.

But a trip North was _dangerous. __**Risky. **_There was far too much happening in Republic City for Kurama to justify such a trip, and yet he needed to make the trip. But even if he did, how would anyone besides Naruto even open the seal? It was far easier to seal the compound than to open it after all.

While Kurama mulled over the situation, Naruto found himself tripping over his own two feet numerous times while attempting a simple string of movements that formed the foundation of 'dance'. He grit his teeth as he pulled his left foot forward, his toes connecting with his right achilles heel and nearly causing the boy to tumble to the ground before he hastily caught himself, body heaving forward from the effort. Kuvira openly laughed while watching him, mirth filling her eyes warmly. Naruto growled at her in annoyance.

"Gahhhh I told you I wasn't good at this. Don' know why you wanted me anyway. I mean, there's gotta be someone better suited for this in Republic City. Korra would even be better than me at this." Naruto pouted while crossing his arms and looking away from the two women with a huff. Suyin laughed lightly, shaking her head while her thumb and index pressed into her forehead while Kuvira continued to watch with an amused smile adorning her face.

"Because Naruto, this dance is _for _Korra so I can't exactly ask her to participate, and you're Kushina's son so I figured you'd be-" "What, I'd be good at it like her?" Naruto interrupted in a rare tone of anger that caused the two women to raise their brows in surprise, before Suyin smiled placatingly at him, "No, I figured you'd be happy to perform in a theater made in remembrance of her, that's all." Naruto looked down with a shameful blush, his anger shifting from frustration at his inexperience with dance to anger at himself for taking that frustration out on those trying to help him.

"Kuvira would you mind guiding him while I go assist a few of the others?" Suyin asked, leaving before Kuvira could give her the nod she knew was coming her way regardless. Kuvira and Naruto shared a look while the green dress clad girl strode his way, her body swaying in ways that found Naruto's eyes following in a haze of movement before she wrapped around him, arms seizing over his own and toes reaching over his own. Naruto gulped hard as she leaned across his shoulder. She somehow didn't seem bothered by their close contact.

Kurama looked up for a moment having felt the urge to come from the mistress before chuckling to himself, warmly smiling at his nephew, his worried thoughts about the compound forgotten while he watched their interaction.

"Alright Naruto," the way Kuvira's breath ghosted over Naruto's ear made the boy's face warm, "Just follow my lead, 'kay?" Naruto had the decency to nod even if his mind was a haze of… he didn't even know. Kuvira drew her right foot back, Naruto's following obediently, before bringing their paired right arms up into the air and their left hands to tuck under Naruto's ribcage.

"This is the starting position for…" Naruto lost Kuvira as she spoke, her warmth being leached through his clothes and digging its way into his skin until Naruto felt it conjoin with the magma in his chest. The concoction that formed was indescribable, but Naruto felt his anger dissipate slightly from her touch. He felt her move again, and obediently followed.

As they moved Naruto began to feel the way the air around them moved through the water in it, and began to feel an inkling of… something. He wasn't sure what, and while he was trying to figure that out Kuvira spoke again, and somehow Naruto felt the teasing smirk on his shoulder.

"Distracted, huh?" She whispered. Naruto fought his shiver as he looked at her from the corner of his eye, finding that the smirk he knew was there present and glimmering in the natural lighting of Kushi Theater. She peered into his eyes, mirth meeting meek, before her smirk widened a little bit, "I wonder why." She finished faintly, grinning at him in a knowing manner. Before Naruto could reply she suddenly began moving the pair again, whirling them around and around through the numerous motions of whatever dance she was trying to teach him. Naruto found it incredibly hard to pay attention to her movement when all he could focus on was her warmth, and the inexplicable feeling in the air's waters.

When they stopped, Kuvira made a show of removing herself from his frame, dragging her fingers across his shoulders and slowing moving her thigh across his, smirking the entire time. She stepped in front of him, grinning lowly. Naruto found a hint of pink dotting her face.

"Told you I could dance."

Naruto forced down the nervous bundle in his chest and allowed a warmth to echo through the hollow parts.

"Told you I couldn't."

* * *

Korra strode through the men's dormitory and felt an odd feeling creep its way into her chest while Asami and the siblings trailed behind her obediently. She hadn't been into Naruto's room since they moved to Air Temple Island now that she thought about it, and for some reason that thought filled her with apprehension. Naruto had seemed different from the moment Chief Beifong deliberately strode towards him and offered him assistance. Korra still didn't know what he needed assistance with.

His door came into view, and the group stopped in front of it. A tension grew around them. Asami stepped forward, standing beside Korra as the pair stared at the simple doorknob that seemed intimidating in the dim light of the hallway. Why was Naruto so far away from the rest of the acolytes anyway? Asami chuckled awkwardly.

"So… have you been in Naruto's room anyway?" the Sato heiress' question wasn't entirely unexpected, but Korra found herself struck from the question regardless. She shook her head.

"No, I haven't. I usually wake up and go to the pro-bending arena to practice with Mako and Bolin or I practice my… waterbending." Korra glanced to the siblings briefly, but the message hadn't left Asami who knew of Korra's status. Regardless Asami nodded, awkwardly smiling.

"Doesn't it feel kind of wrong to go in without his permission then?" Korra nodded slowly, but Lucy stepped forward from between the two older girls and grabbed his doorknob, turning back to them with an annoyed look at their shocked faces.

"It's Big Bro Naruto, he won't care. Plus," She opened the door with a grin, stepping aside to allow Luke to dash through, "It's our room now too!" She dashed inside with a mischievous grin. Asami and Korra looked to each other before laughing at how serious they had taken opening a door, stepping in as the air of tension evaporated quickly.

Asami stepped in first, finding a plain room with a blue blanket adorned bed to the left and tucked into the corner, big wooden drawer against the opposite corner, and a neatly cleaned desk to the far right corner opposite of the door. It was extremely plain, but then again she should've expected something like this from the Air Temple.

Korra walked in to find the siblings running around the room excitedly, squealing as they jumped on Naruto's bed. She grew frustrated, annoyed that they were disrespecting Naruto's room.

"Hey! Stop that!" She boomed at them, rushing forward with her hands out trying to nab them. They giggled at her and slipped under her legs or right over her shoulder in Lucy's case before rushing past Asami to Naruto's desk, pulling open the drawer and rummaging through it. Korra turned around to find Luke holding up a folder, one she recognized that had been given to Naruto by Chief Beifong. Her words died in recognition while Luke looked at it with scrutinizing eyes before tossing it aside, determining it as 'boring' in his young mind.

Asami and Korra watched as the folder impacted with the ground, the contents spilling slightly past its creamy edge, a mugshot attached to a police report peaking out. Their brows shot up.

* * *

_Let me know if you guys think I'm speeding up the pairing stuff a bit too much, I kinda felt like I was with the whole dance scene. _


	18. Chapter 18

_I've seen some conflicting opinions about the pacing of this story, so if you would be so kind to write a review with your opinion on the pacing I will be able to get a better grasp on what all of you feel about the pacing and adapt accordingly._

_I also still need a beta, really bad. With a beta I will be able to push out these chapters faster, so if you are interested in Beta'ing go ahead and shoot me a DM_

* * *

_17 murders. He had been charged with 17 before he slaughtered Naruto's parents. They made 19. Naruto's frame shook continuously as he held the folder in his hands dangerously. The creme material was bending and folding in his grip as he shook on his bed. The moon beamed through his window and shined upon the man's grin, reflecting its glow directly into Naruto's eye. The blonde couldn't help but feel that the moon was sneering at him. _

_Ethereal hands came down slowly around his shoulders from behind, a long, thin oval of ice forming in his lap and allowing the boy to see his face. For the first time in a few years Naruto spied the stain of blood on his face. A splatter on his left cheek, trailing across his nose as well as a little trail that dried on the eyelash of his left eye. The mistress' grin appeared over his shoulder, her hands coming up to cup his face as she tugged him to her lips. A teasingly soft peck on his ear gave birth to a novel thought. The ice reshaped itself, becoming denser as it collapsed inward and formed into a small knife. _

_Naruto wondered what the man's face would look like if his face was stained with blood just as Naruto's was._

* * *

"Korra…" Asami muttered, the pair of girls staring with wide eyes at the creme folder lying on the ground. Korra said nothing in response as she stepped forward tentatively, almost scared of what she was looking at. Slowly the Avatar crouched down and picked up the folder, gripping the mugshot and police report with her other hand. Korra raised the papers up and allowed horror to inch over her eyes, her mouth falling down slightly.

"Asami, is that… blood?" Korra whispered to her, glancing at the other side of the room to find the siblings gone, thankfully. Asami's brows scrunched up in shock and she walked over, hovering above Korra's shoulders and gasped a little.

"I, I think so." Asami replied quietly and slowly. Korra slowly pulled the mugshot out of the paper clip holding it to the police report, raising the small napkin sized photo up to stare at it more. The man had pale skin in stark contrast to his black hair that hung limply behind his head in a ronin hair style. His eyes were a cold steel against the pale expanse of his face. There was one feature that managed to unsettle the Avatar/Sato Heiress pair.

His face was split in two by a massive, crazed grin.

The photo was stained with blood, and little streaks seemed to imply that the blood had been moved into a particular position. _A splatter on his left cheek, trailing across his nose as well as a little trail that dried on the eyelash of his left eye. _To Korra's left Asami picked up the police report from Korra's lap and began to finger through while the Avatar continued to stare in contemplative horror at the photo in her hands.

"Says here his name is Zabuza Momochi. He's wanted for," Asami choked, eyes wide as her eyes scanned the report, "Se...seven...seventeen," Asami gulped, staring at the report. Korra looked up at her pausing.

"17 what?" Asami looked up slowly, a horrified expression on her face. Her brows crinkled together, her upper lip was pulled up to the left and the corners of her mouth were creased.

"Murders." Korra's face stretched to match Asami's. The avatar snatched away the police report, frantically glossing over the report.

"Why would Naruto have this?" Asami muttered, and Korra shook her head as she stared at it.

"I don't know… Why wo-" Korra stopped, eyes wide and emotionless as she read one line of the report.

"What? What is it?" Asami asked cautiously, having thoroughly been disturbed to find such a report in Naruto's room. Korra shook her head, lower eyelid coming up to scrunch her eyes as her lips pushed out in a sort of pout, discomfort, sadness, and pain surging up from her chest and heating her eyes.

"Believed to b-be responsible for the d-deaths of," Korra swallowed the lump in her throat, forcing herself to continue, "K-Kushina Uzum-maki and Minato N-Namikaze."

* * *

"Za-Za… Zabu-za?" A childish, nervous mumble made the man softly smile, patting the shoulder of the child seated on his life while the small boy pointed towards the book in the man's hands. He nodded.

"Yes, a fine swordsman. He was felled by your grandfather in the final battle against the Fire Nation." The child looked up to him with a quizzical look.

"Fire Nation?" He chuckled, rubbing the boys head and closed the book at the same time.

"I'll tell you about it later. For now," He got up, hefting the boy in his arms and smiling serenely at him, "Let's go see your brother huh?" The child squealed in delight.

"Ni-san!" The man grinned, steely gray eyes lighting with warmth as the boy with black hair shook with his happy laughter.

The man strode through his icy compound with the child in his arms, swaying him teasingly with a warm smile on his face as he did so, black hair pulled into a ronin style swinging behind him.

Light blurred the world for a brief moment as the pair exited the icy compound, before the world focused and portrayed a scene of a larger male instructing two smaller children in vague waterbending motions. The clearly older boy had a very feminine disposition to his face. The child squealed, catching the trio's attention. The older boy looks happily surprised.

"Father, and little Yahiko! Hello." The boy releases his fluid stance, walking over to the two with a smile overcoming his soft features. The man smiles, patting his shoulder when he hands the younger child into the older's hands.

"Take care of him Haku, I have a meeting." Haku looked up, acknowledging his father before smiling at his brother who was enraptured by the twins' waterbending motions.

"I will Father."

* * *

Mid-motion Naruto felt his world go inverse for a split moment, the Mistress' claw stabbing into his temple and poisoning him with knowledge. Naruto's feet staggered and his chest hollowed instantly, his mouth dropping open into an 'o' and his eyes widening. Naruto was pulled from his momentary lapse of attention by Kuvira's hand on his shoulder. Naruto jumped away and looked at her to find a worried visage staring back at him. Naruto quelled the raging hollow in his chest and the anguish in his head to smile at Kuvira, shaking his head in a fake exasperation.

_Korra knew._

"Ahhh… sorry I just thought of something. I gottttaaaaaa… speak to Tarlok later." This was a lie obviously, but Naruto figured tonight would be the perfect time to speak to the councilman actually. Yeah, yeah he would. Maybe by the time he managed to secure training and a set schedule for when he would train with the man, Korra and Asami would forget what they saw. Yeah, yeah… He could hope.

_Korra __**knew. **_

The mistress kept her clawed right hand wrapped around his throat, tightening at his lie.

"Really? What about?" Kuvira asked with a quizzical, analytical gleam in her eye. Naruto couldn't decipher the emotions that were seething behind that emerald gaze. Naruto found that he was disappointed in himself at that notion.

_Korra… knew..._

In the seats, Kurama perked up, narrowing his eyes. What could Naruto want from that pathetic councilman?

Naruto grinned awkwardly, standing up straight and rubbing the back of his head in an awkward fashion, looking down to avoid Kuvira's gaze.

_She wouldn't look at him the same._

"Ahahaah well… it's kinda lame why, so I wouldn't worry about it if I were you." Naruto looked up, finding Kuvira's eyes even more narrow than before. He scrunched his eyebrows as she crossed her arms, legs contorting into a somewhat haughty pose. The look she was giving him told him that he should answer to make it easier on her so that she didn't have to pull it out of him while holding him down. Naruto sighed, shaking his head.

_She'd look at him differently._

"I'm gonna go ask him to help me out with my waterbending." Naruto admitted quietly, avoiding Kuvira's gaze. Kuvira's slight gasp and the hole being burned into his head from the seats made Naruto want to sink into himself, though Naruto only allowed his brows to crunch into each other to try and ease the pressure.

_Like some..._

"Why?" Naruto looked up to find Kuvira's face full of utter confusion, the earthbender throwing her arms out forward and to the sides, looking down as if trying to gasp what he was saying. "I just-I mean, wha… why would you go to him for that? Plus-aren't you already proficient enough already?" Naruto felt his chest hollow out at her confused and desperate grasping for understanding. What was so wrong with going to Tarlok? What was so wrong about wanting to protec-to get stronger? He vocalized such questions.

_Some..._

"What do you mean? Why can't I want to get better at it?" She looked up from her confused thinking, staring at him with a small open mouth. Naruto noted to himself the way the sun glinted on her lip and suddenly found her desperation that much more painful.

_Street Urchin._

"That's fine but… Tarlok isn't the right man to go to. I'm sure there are better people to go to." Before Naruto could respond to Kuvira's surprisingly soft reply, Kurama's boot stomped onto the stage as the man crossed his arms and looked at the pair with narrowed eyes.

_In need of help._

"There are _much _better trainers than that pathetic Tarlok." His growl made it that much harder for Naruto to continue, and the way the mistress continued to tighten her clawed hand around his throat didn't help. Naruto would have grit his teeth if it wouldn't have stirred suspicion.

_And..._

"But _not _in Republic City." Naruto missed the way the mistress glanced at Kurama, for she was just a delusion wasn't she? Kurama narrowed his eyes at the glance, and especially at the way her hand didn't leave his nephew's throat. Kuvira meanwhile was astonished, searching for something to say.

_She would focus on him..._

"Wha-well… I mean you don't have to learn in Republic City. I'm sure Korra would be fine leavi-"

"No. I won't make everybody leave and ruin everything we have in Republic City out of some shameful want to get better at waterbending." Naruto stuck his nose up and nearly glared at Kuvira, the notion of tearing Korra away from everything she had gained in Republic City suddenly sparking the magma in his chest to fill the hollow rapidly and nearly spew forth from his chest. Kuvira looked at him with wide eyes, surprised by the forceful tone the boy had used against her.

_And she would ignore her duties..._

"There is far too much going on in Republic City right now for us to just up and leave. Korra's learning how to Airbend from Tenzin, not to mention her pro-bending matches… and she wants to help deal with the Equalists, and she's having a fun time getting to know Asami…" Kurama narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the way Naruto seemed to center his reasoning around Korra, "Not to mention we have this dance for her. We can't just leave." Naruto stared forward with a tone of finality gleaming in both his words and his eyes.

_And she would ignore what was important..._

"Can't you just wait?" Kuvira's last act of desperation spiked fear in Naruto's chest, images flashing through his head of intestines strewn across the streets of Republic City haunting him, grins contorting and disfiguring the people in the theater with equal speed before he shook his head roughly, as if to say 'no' when really he was trying to rid his head of his delusions. He looked up with a click of his tongue.

_A distraction._

"What's so bad about Tarlok anyway huh? He hasn't done anything, all he's done is give me an aptitude test." Naruto's low tone prompted Kurama to step forward.

"Tarlok tried to…" Kurama looked down, avoiding revealing too much, but Naruto latched onto his words.

_He would be a distraction._

"Tried to what? Assess what I could do? Give me a baseline skill? What? What's so bad about that huh?" Naruto demanded restlessly, staring at the pair with wide eyes. Kurama shrunk away from his gaze, though Kuvira looked up weakly.

"Suyin and Lin have told me to stay away from him. Even Tenzin has said to do so." She said quietly, but Naruto latched onto her and scowled, his magma bursting forth and melting his lips.

_The Avatar wasn't supposed to be __**distracted.**_

"And you would blindly trust them? Why, because it benefits you to do so? That's… That's…" Naruto looked down, thinking on how he had been lead to believe that his parents weren't anybody special, that his last name was simply that, that this mistress choking his throat was anything more than a hallucination… why hadn't Tonraq told him? Why hadn't Naruto learned about his parents until he was _17\. _Naruto grit his teeth, suspicions and anger that had been hidden from himself surfacing with the flowing magma.

"Sad." He said meekly, looking down and scowling. Kuvira avoided his gaze.

_Distractions were to be..._

Naruto raised his hands and looked at them. How he hated Republic City. Republic City had torn away everything he had ever known. His parents stopped being a warm memory stained with a dot of blood and instead had become a blurred facade, fake. His last name had stopped being something he tacked on at the end of his introduction and instead had become an emblem bedazzled with gold and blood in equal measures. And the smile that occasionally teased him had morphed and become a floating woman that choked him at every possible moment.

_**Discarded.**_

Republic City had taken Naruto's happiness, and for that he would hate it. But, Republic City had taken Naruto's happiness and given it to Korra tenfold, and for that Naruto would tolerate it.

He sighed.

"Let's just dance."

Kuvira's hand laced with his, but Naruto found that a tension had formed between them and their palms didn't meet as completely as they had before.

* * *

_Still need a beta guys. If you like the story please consider being a Beta, it'll help me get these out much faster._


	19. Chapter 19

_A mischievous 8 year old Naruto grinned in a foxy manner to himself as he snuck around the Southern Water Tribe Compound, managing to be a sneaky little bastard as he got past the numerous white lotus sentries posted around the main building of the compound that served as the house for Naruto's only friend, Korra the Avatar. Just thinking about the fact that his friend was __**the Avatar **__made Naruto giddy and caused his grin to stretch if such a thing was possible._

_Naruto approached the back wall of the building and stared at the white wall, puffing his lips out in an annoyed manner at the wall. They'd fixed his climbing grooves, how was he supposed to get into Korra's room now? Naruto's eyes scanned the wall, gleaming blue against the sky and mirroring its color, before they widened in a childish excitement at the sight of an open window further left than Korra's window. That was how he'd get in!_

_But…_

_Without his grooves how could he climb the wall?_

_The stubborn boy chewed his lip in thought, plopping his butt on the ground and grasping his chin with his thumb and index to think, even going as far as to close his eyes in a bit of youthful hyperbole. The boy sat for a few minutes until the snow that had puffed up onto his pants melted, creating a little cold spot in the boy's thigh that caused his eye to pop open in an irritated manner before widening in a moment of 'Eureka'!_

_He'd use bending!_

_The boy cried out happy little peals of laughter, though quietly as to avoid those White Lotus jerks. The boy approached the wall and grinned triumphantly at it. He even chuckled at it, pointing his head down so that his shaggy blonde hair shaded his face but allowed his grin to gleam in the sun while he held his chin. A victory for him, as usual._

_The boy bent down, scooping up some snow in both his hands - two years spent in one of the coldest places on the planet numbing his reaction to a lack of heat - and promptly squished the snow until it melted, water swirling around in his hands as the boy used minute movements of his fingers to move it around before frowning. He'd need more water for this._

_Wordlessly, the boy allowed his feet to carry his body into a small spiral motion, gut tucking in and torso extending forward to allow his arms more movement, until all of the snow around the boy in a circle melted and became water that twirled around his forearms in happy spirals. The boy grinned back at his friendly water snakes and then glanced back up at the wall. _

_The boy raised a hand tentatively towards the wall, hovering a small space in front of the wall before his thumb tucked inwards summoning the water to his palm where it promptly froze across his hand and the surface of the wall. The boy tugged his arm away, or rather, he tried to but found that his hand was now firmly stuck on the wall unless he bent the ice back into water. The boy's eyes lit up in euphoric joy at being right. He could stick to the wall with bending!_

_The boy rapidly raised his left hand higher than the right, repeating the same motions until his left hand was firmly planted on the wall. The boy grinned, foregoing the anxious apprehension and worry about falling as he rapidly melted the ice on his right palm and threw the arm upwards above where the left was, freezing it to the surface of the wall once more._

_The boy tugged his right leg up into a curl but nearly screamed in fright when his left foot didn't stay like he wanted, instead sliding down the surface of the wall and back onto the ground where it had been prior. The boy grunted, glaring at his foot before raising it again, twirling his ankle and prompting more water to flow in a little tendril from the snakes around his arm to where his big boot connected with the wall, freezing it in place like his hands. _

_Slowly, with an 'o' on the boy's face as he waited in anticipation, the boy raised his left foot and allowed the ice to hold his weight while slowly freezing the remaining foot onto the wall. The boy waited, a minute, two, before on the third exhaling and grinning madly to himself._

_He could climb walls! _

_Korra would be so jealous, heheheh!_

_So, the boy began his ascent, climbing the wall with a rapid fervor and a need to rub his newest discovery in Korra's face. With flexes of his thumb and little swirls of his ankle, Naruto climbed the creamy wall with quick freezing and melting of the water at his palms and toe-end of his boots. _

_Finally nearing the open window, Naruto faintly heard voices but decided they were probably outside, prompting a little jab of fear to hit his gut and force the boy to awkwardly grip the windowsill and pull himself in, that tickle of fear on his back as some invisible monster tried to grip his leg only for it to miss at the last minute when Naruto managed to finally pull himself in._

_Only to fall on his butt painfully, the boy's eyes scrunching and his brows furrowing as he grunted out in pain. He growled at his own butt as he rubbed in softly, stupid thing only ever got kicked by Korra or fell on something. Shaking his head in childish anger, Naruto rose to his feet and began to sneak through the building with his, at this point, infamous stealth. _

_As he made his way towards where he knew Korra's room was though, Naruto noticed that the voices he thought were outside were actually inside, and getting louder and clearer! And… was that Tonraq? Naruto's natural curiosity swayed his priorities from waking Korra to listening in on whatever Tonraq was saying. Knowing his own greatness, Naruto figured Tonraq would be discussing with, probably Master Katara, erecting a statue in Naruto's honor right smack-dab in the middle of the compound. The boy grinned cheekily to himself as he approached the only room that had a light on in the compound, the voices focusing._

_They were whispering._

"_...raction! We have tolerated it for 2 years but enough is enough." The first voice sounded distinctly angry and old, like a White Lotus member except waaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy older. Naruto faintly recognized the voice, but couldn't pinpoint who it was. _

"_And what exactly do you intend to do then?" The second voice was very obviously the voice of Tonraq. A man Naruto immensely feared for the overwhelming respect and idealistic awe that the man inspired in Naruto's chest, formed from the fact that he had been the person to grant him a life again, away from that bloody, gruesome city of… let it be known that even at a young age Naruto held a certain distaste of Republic City._

"_..." There was a silence between the men, and even without knowing the context of their words Naruto's adolescent mind could pick up the palpable tension in the atmosphere. The blonde even gulped quietly to himself as he hugged the doorframe to the room where the men were having their talk._

"_Tonraq…"_

"_What are your intentions with the boy?" Naruto stiffened and his eyes widened. There was only one boy in the compound…_

"_We allowed him to be brought near Korra because of the supposed spirituality of the two great Northern Clans, but for all of their history and talk of Floating women and Talking moons the boy has shown perhaps even __**less **__spirituality as Korra."_

"_I am aware of this. What is your point." Naruto could feel the glare Tonraq was giving his acquaintance, could practically see the way his bright blue eyes hardened into a dark steel as he laced his fingers together in a stern fashion, jaw tightened into a grim stone._

"_The only reason we allowed Korra to keep that polarbear-dog-"_

"_Naga is her name."_

"_The only reason we allowed Korra to keep," The man cleared his throat, "__**Naga **__is because the dog is her companion, just as Appa was to Aang."_

"_I don't see how Naga is relevant to this discussion." Tonraq was getting forceful now, and Naruto felt his knees weakening for some reason. The air around him suddenly became colder and seemed to embrace the boy for some reason._

"_The boy is a distraction to Korra and her duties as the Avatar!" The sound of a fist hitting a wooden table echoed through the room and slammed into Naruto's chest, causing the boy to slump against the wall. _

"_Regardless if that is true, Korra has progressed on par with the course set out for her by her teachers. She is not inhibited by his presence, in fact, to me it seems that she benefits from socializing with him." Tonraq's words puffed Naruto's chest out in only slightly._

"_**Distractions are to be Discarded!**_"

_What? No… No! Nonononononononononononono! He couldn't be di-discarded! No no no nonononononoNOOO! Not after he had gained so much! Not while he was still haunted by that freaky smile everywhere!_

_**Not when he could still hear his mother's screams on the wind.**_

_No. No. He wouldn't be discarded. The man had said that _Distractions _were to be discarded. That's it. Naruto would stop being a distraction. Yeah. Yeah. That way he wouldn't be kicked out. He could still stay at the compound. Away from that City. Away from those bodies. _

_From here on out, Korra's Destiny took precedence over his own desires._

_Naruto did not stay to hear the rest. From that day on, the White Lotus guards seemed to be a little more lenient to Naruto, if only because his pranks practically disappeared except for when Korra asked him to, and even then only when she practically begged him for weeks on end._

* * *

_Tonraq's hands slammed on the wooden table separating the Southern Water Chief from the White Lotus Elder, glaring with grit teeth towards the man that had the audacity to speak about Kushina and Minato's son like he was some… some annoyance!_

"_Nothing of the sort will happen!" The Elder's hands met the table in a similar fashion to the way Tonraq's had, the two men's faces a mere foot away from each other as they glared into the other's eyes. _

"_That is unacceptable! Avatar Korra must be tended to properly and diligently! A distraction must not be allowed to inhibit her progress, that is final." Tonraq glared, his blue eyes freezing over into a pale blue ice as he stared into the eyes of this utterly __**despicable man. **_

"_Let us get one thing straight here, __**Honorable Elder.**_" _Said White Lotus authority narrowed his eyes at the tone of Tonraq's voice, "I am chief of this tribe. I am also Korra's Father. In the South Pole," Tonraq raised himself so that he was no longer leaning over the table, his mighty frame towering over the smaller man, "My word is law." In his defense, the Elder did not back down from the intimidating man._

"_And Avatar Aang's word was law across the world. Avatar Aang tasked the White Lotus with protecting and cultivating the next Avatar for her duties!"_

"_Did Aang ask you to forsake a child? Kushina's child no less?"_

_The Elder's face grew red with exertion._

"_The wellbeing of a child is nothing compared to the wellbeing of the world!"_

_Tonraq's hand snapped outwards before the Elder could react and snatched his collar into a painful grasp, it's mirror hand joining shortly afterward to raise the man into the air as Tonraq glared at him with murder in his eyes._

"_Ack-Wha-What are you doing!?" The Elder squirmed under Tonraq's grasp, clawing at his gloved hands to no avail while the bigger man simply held him in the air and scrutinized him with angry eyes._

"_I am extremely close to forcing you and your entire organization out of my home and raising Korra as a normal girl without the weight of Avatar hanging over her if this is what it will ultimately lead to." Tonraq spoke slowly, purposefully, through grit teeth. The Elder's eyes widened fanatically._

"_Wha-No! Are you insane man, that you would throw away Korra's Destiny as the Avatar!?" Tonraq's grip tightened, glaring into the man's eyes with hatred bleeding from the icy ovals._

"_I would be insane to throw Korra's happiness to the wolves like you intend to. Korra, first and foremost, above all else, is my __**daughter. **__I care more about __**her **__than the __**Avatar**__. For you, I cannot say the same. You care more about Korra's title rather than Korra. You care for the future and wish to cultivate it in your personal image no matter the cost. To the point that you would leave a child, an innocent and joyous little boy, to starve on the streets. Would you even allow him the luxury of a trip back to Republic City? Or would you throw him out in the middle of a blizzard?" Tonraq's tone was quiet, but the weight within each word seemed to make the Elder heavier and heavier until Tonraq gave up, dropping the man loudly into a crumple on the ground and glaring at him while standing intimidatingly over his form. _

"_**The Boy Stays."**_

_Above all else, Tonraq treasured the happiness of his little girl, and by extension, the happiness of Naruto. For all his lack of book-smarts, Tonraq had world's worth of knowledge on people and their emotions, and it was clear as day to Tonraq that Korra had snatched onto Naruto in an almost symbiotic manner. They were inseparable from the day Naruto arrived, and that first interaction had humbled Tonraq, had opened his eyes to the unhappy life his daughter had lead up to that point. _

_Naruto held Tonraq's utmost respect for allowing the man to realize that he had been hurting his little girl by trying to cultivate her Destiny instead of cultivating her happiness. _

_And for that reason alone, Naruto was more of a son to Tonraq than any in the world could ever hope to be. _

* * *

A fist connected with Naruto's left cheek forcing blood to spew out in small globs out of his lip and for his teeth to spear through his tongue creating a gash that made the blonde taste copper in his mouth.

For all his natural prowess afforded to him from his Uzumaki blood, For all his natural intellect afforded to him from his Namikaze blood, For all of the madness imbued in him from that single smile, Naruto was utterly outmatched by Tarrlok.

From the force of the punch, Naruto's head leaned heavily to the right to the point that his left leg began to leave the ground before another fist connected with Naruto's right cheek and balanced his head back on his shoulders before his stomach was assaulted by three quick palms, a fourth landing squarely on his sternum.

Naruto felt a cracking motion in his chest as he flew back a few feet, landing unsteadily on his feet and looking up in a daze to find the older councilman already in his personal space, a dead-stone face glaring at him.

A leg connected with his right calf forcing his knee inward and throwing off his balance before another leg connected with his now outstretched knee forcing it back into a loud crack that threw Naruto onto the ground in a scream of pain. Tarrlok was kind enough to stop his assault, crouching down and already grabbing Naruto in order to stop the boy's squirms of pain. He forced the boy to look at him.

"You are a healer, so heal." His words were simple, said in a deep and forceful tone. Naruto, through tears and bloody trails from his mouth, nodded and sniffled as he motioned with his hand for water from the air to come cascading over his knee much like a bandage. Naruto moved his hand forward and the water turned green, relief instantly flooding his system and removing some of the blur of pain from Naruto's head. Tarrlok narrowed his eyes at the knee before nodding, raising with a slight huff.

"There will be much work to do, considering you were bested even while I was restricted to only hand combat." Tarrlok's brutally honest breakdown of the fact that Naruto had been absolutely _slaughtered _even without the use of bending made Naruto crumple in on himself, though his brows furrowed into a determined crunch and his jaw tightened despite the pain in his teeth when he did so. Tarrlok's brow raised when suddenly the green glow of Naruto's healing water began to burn brighter, the disfiguring of the boy's exposed knee-skin lessening at a much faster pace than before.

Tarrlok would have grinned had the boy not looked up to him with a glaring determination burning in his eyes.

It seems Kushina was right afterall.

The prowess of an Uzumaki's bending seemed to be influenced by their emotions.

That made training Naruto doubly beneficial, for he could kill two birds with one stone.

_Naruto was shaping up to be quite the knife to carve through Republic City, all Tarrlok had to do was sharpen it._

* * *

_Sorry for the little amount of plot advancement, I wanted to use this chapter to create a better foundation for Naruto's desires to not impede Korra's Destiny._

_Still need a Beta~_


	20. Chapter 20

"I will get stronger." Simple words from a simple boy, Tarrlok thought when the blonde's gleaming blue eyes defiantly burned into his own blue orbs. The councilman's eyes narrowed while the man breathed slowly. Eventually he closed his eyes and sighed softly, patting Naruto's shoulder and seating himself beside the boy while he healed his dislocated knee.

"Have you heard of why your mother," Tarrlok glanced at the boy from the corner of his eye while watching the waterfall within his office and found a eternal intrigue, a desperation seen only in hungry street-orphans, "Was held to such a high degree? Why the imprints of her feet she left on the world were praised and kissed by the commoners?" He looked up, remembering the red-haired woman with a fond smile, "Why even Avatar Aang couldn't resist her charm?" Tarrlok finished by looking to Naruto and couldn't help the pang of sadness that pierced his frozen heart by the desperate sorrow within those sky-blue eyes. Had he been a lesser man, Tarrlok may have ended his plans for the boy there.

"I can tell by your look you haven't." Tarrlok looked away lest those big eyes melt, even slightly, the bloody ice in his chest. "I will tell you."

Tarrlok stood and weaved his hands through a few motions. Drawing upon the water of the waterfall in his office Tarrlok created a scene, a flat plane that grew detail until a bridge leading to a familiar theater formed from the water.

"Avatar Aang had left to visit Firelord Zuko for some sort of meeting." Tarrlok looked back to Naruto with an amused smirk on his face, "Coulda been for some drinking time with his bud, who knows, besides," He turned back to the scene, waves forming that splashed against the cobblestone walls that made up Republic City's seawall, "Your mother was on her way to the Republic City theater, today's Pro-bending arena."

Naruto stood up slowly, eyes entranced by the scene made of water even as he walked out the residual ache left in his knee, and slowly stopped and watched from atop the scene laid out in Tarrlok's hands. So enthralled was the boy that he failed to notice the way Tarrlok's face slowly stretched into a treacherous grin.

"A mere 16 year old girl on her way to watch the new popular play. They were quite big back in the day you know." Tarrlok noted the way Naruto seemed to ignore his little glance, but only shook his head slightly and began weaving his fingers slightly.

"On her way, she allegedly spots something on the horizon. Some sort of…"

5 massive war boats, like those Naruto had seen in the history books' recounts of Firelord Ozai's navy, as well as 2 blimps floating above them connected to the scene via a small tendril of water, formed on the watery canvas at the very end of the scene. The boy's eyes widened.

"Lost son of the maniacal General Zhao had come to reclaim his dead nation's supposed honor, to claim their destiny for himself along with a small group of loyalists that had been brewing in the Fire Nation at the time." Tarrlok's tone was grave, his natural charisma and ability to weave any story into a harrowing tragic tale shining through to full effect as he watched the way Naruto's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly.

Forms of citizens appeared in the water, running away from the ships and subsequently the tiny model of Kushina who stood alone against the coming battalion.

"Avatar Aang had entrusted the safety of Republic City to your mother. Whether as a joke or a genuine extension of faith is unknown, but that doesn't matter. Regardless, your mother took that sincerely, and felt within her the need to protect this city. So, valiantly, your mother stood alone against the coming legion of Firebenders."

The water shifted, Kushina's form jumping atop the railing and creating a platform for herself to stand upon and begin weaving through a series of waterbending motions. Naruto's eyes watched the way the waves of the scene began to violently swirl and crash in all directions until eventually Kushina's form raised two hands into the air with a mighty gesture.

"Some witness accounts say Kushina fought off the firebenders when they docked. Others say Kushina formed icy spears out of thin air and gradually sunk the boats one by one. The official story, however, is a sort of combination."

The small model of Kushina dropped its hands, the massive wave formed falling upon the fleet. When the water settled, the blimps remained along with three of the 5 war boats. Seamlessly, Kushina began to weave through more motions until Naruto spotted two mighty spears forming in the 'air' of the scene.

"The blimps had to be removed."

The spears launched forward with a heave motion of her arms. They flew, fast as satomobiles, through the air until they punctured one of the blimps. The spears pierced the other side of the blimp, the force of the sudden stoppage blowing the blimp into its brother floating machine, the pair of blimps steadily going down until they crashed into the water, creating a wave that Kushina's figure rapidly took control of and used to try and sink the remaining war boats. Two of the metal machines of war were plunged into the deep depths surrounding Republic City while the third was carried forward by the wave until it crashed into the sea wall some ways away from Kushina.

"She could not allow the firebenders to advance upon her city. Avatar Aang had entrusted her with its safety afterall, it was her duty to protect it. Besides, Kushina seemed to have a love of the city, at least, to me." Naruto glanced at the councilman, but wordlessly returned his eyes to the scene to find the figure of Kushina rushing towards where the boat had smashed through the sea wall and settled into the corner of a now crumbling building.

Firebenders adorning the armor of Firelord Ozai's armies began to crawl out of the rubble in a steady flow, 30 some odd members forming a squad when Kushina arrived. 1 against 30. Streams of fire shot towards her little figure, shown by little icicles forming and melting rapidly in the watery scene while Kushina's watery model ducked and weaved between all of the streams of fire, shooting off quick slashes with water whips or sending small projectiles made of ice at the firebenders. All of her efforts were steadily repelled, the group slowly advancing on her despite her evasion of their bending techniques.

"The benders were not masters, or even as proficient as Ozai's armies had been, but it was still heavily swayed in their favor through sheer numbers. But, Kushina was, like you," The scene cleared and the water dropped onto the ground in a puddle, Tarrlok turning to look at Naruto with a predatory gleam in his eye, "_**An Uzumaki.**_"

The puddle fluttered up from around their feet forming big snowflakes that floated all around them, though they weren't actually snowflakes and were instead watery representations massively blown up from the actual size of a snowflake. They floated around and around the pair until Naruto's eyes swirled with confusion.

"But, snow? What does snow have to do with this?" Tarrlok grinned slowly, raising his hand, palm up, towards Naruto and gesturing for the boy to pay attention.

"Your mother used snow. Created a blizzard around her enemies. But, while that in itself may not sound impressive, there is a catch." One of the big water-snowflakes floated down into Tarrlok's hand where it slowly began to form into an object.

"Your mother was capable of," A blade formed, sharpening in Tarrlok's hand, "Creating _**knives**_" A knife, clean edged in a triangle tip with a loop on the end, formed out of ice while Tarrlok clutched it, "Out of the tiniest snowflakes. A blizzard may be imposing, but a blizzard made of _**knives **_is downright terrifying." Naruto's eyes widened dramatically and he began to shake.

"My mother… could do _that_?" Naruto's world flipped upside down, his hearing became a constant screech and his peripheral vision became blurred and black with each booming pump of his heart that sent waves of blood through his body that shook his frame endlessly.

Naruto _**despised **_Republic City. There was no other way of saying it at this point. Naruto detested every single aspect of this stain on the planet. This living waste of land. This utterly disgusting city filled with desires, greed, vices, alcohol, drugs, _murder. _What did Korra see in this city?

_**WHAT DID HIS MOTHER SEE IN THIS CITY?! **_

What was so worthy of her worry, of her devotion.

WHAT WAS SO WORTHY THAT HIS MOTHER HAD TO BLOODY HER HANDS FOR AN UNGRATEFUL POPULATION THAT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND!?

Naruto fell to his knees, a scene of bloody murder made of water swirling all around him as Kushina's visage stood beside him in life-size, the 16 year old frame of his mother twisting and twirling around him with a determined snarl on her face as a blizzard of knives cut through red armor and spewed firebender blood all around him.

Naruto curled in on himself, crying and whimpering as his mental vision of his mother was corrupted. That soft, creamy, lovely, beautiful, **comforting **image of his mother, all that he had left of her after she was snatched from his hands, was swamped under an ocean of blood by this disgusting city.

They didn't… They didn't _understand _what they had stripped from her. In the short years they had spent together as a complete pair of mother and son she had imposed many values within the young blonde. One of those was crushing into Naruto's chest and holding his heart forcing pain to spew through his body with each pump.

_Human life was to be valued above all._

_**And Republic City had twisted his mother's hand and bloodied it.**_

Naruto felt his hair get grabbed in a tight fist that pulled him upwards to show him the snarling face of Tarrlok, the angry councilman utterly confused and infuriated by the weakness shown in the boy. He had expected this to fill the boy with determination not agony!

"What is the issue boy!? What plagues you? Don't you understand? You could be so much… more! Don't you see? You are beyond this, even beyond the Avatar. You could be **better. **Let me show you!" Tarrlok demanded, glaring into Naruto's eyes as he held the boy's head up roughly by his blonde hair.

Tarrlok felt shock ease its way into his chest as an infuriated snarl worked its way onto Naruto's face, the boy spitting in Tarrlok's eye forcing the man to drop his head onto the ground and furiously rub at his face.

"Grahhhh Stupid child! Insolent whelp! You are a fool! What could possibly trouble you so that you _tremble _in the face of your own potential!?" Tarrlok demanded, throwing his arms out angrily as Naruto shakily rose to his feet, head down and shadowed by his shaggy hair that seemed to have lost all life. Naruto's head raised, blazing blue ice staring into Tarrlok's eyes.

"Republic City has taken away everything I have ever loved! Everything I have ever cherished! I hate this city, I despise it!" Naruto stepped forward, his body heaving with his weight at the motion, "It corrupted my mother," He stepped forward again, "It took my parents!" Another step, the boy's weight swaying before he righted himself and glared at Tarrlok with loathing directed inward. Tarrlok's eyes narrowed at the sea of self-loathing in Naruto's eyes. "And it has given Korra the happiness I could never!" Naruto's final declaration nearly brought a smile to Tarrlok's face.

"I don't _want _to be better than Korra. I don't want to be… more! I just…" Naruto clawed at the air in front of him, searching for the words to express what had been building within Naruto since he had seen that knife enter his mother's gut. Since he had seen his father's blood strewn across the alley way and splash over his cheek.

Since he had seen Korra smile for the first time.

He raised his head, anguish tearing his face apart and his eyes bleeding emotion into the very air.

"I just want to live a normal life through Korra!" He screamed, glaring at Tarrlok, or rather, glaring at the life he could see gleaming behind Tarrlok. His parents, congratulating him on passing some test. A girl, pale-eyed with purple hair in a hime style blushing when he introduced her to his parents. A promotion. A satomobile.

A family.

_A normal life. _

He had lost such an opportunity.

And perhaps he was foolish, he realized that now as he matured, to push this fate upon Korra. She was the **Avatar. **She was destined for much more than what Naruto had wanted for he-no. She was destined for more than what Naruto had wanted for himself, and Naruto hated himself for pushing such a… such a… disappointment on her. Korra wanted the destiny she deserved, and Naruto was determined to _force _her to live the life he wanted for her.

Tarrlok narrowed his eyes at the boy's emotive outburst, staring at his shaky, heaving frame while the boy attempted to stand tall even after admitting his greatest shame. But, Tarrlok had not gotten this far for nothing. He had not gotten this far with no skill, no tact. Tarrlok knew how to spin this to his advantage. He grinned charismatically at the boy.

"So that's it huh? You wish to shield Korra from the world, to preserve her? I… I understand now." Tarrlok looked down with softly closed eyes, stepping towards Naruto slowly, cautiously as to not frighten the boy. "You just want an easy, comfortable life for her." He raised his head, soft eyes staring into Naruto's own anguished one's comfortingly, "That _is _admirable, Naruto." Foolish, Tarrlok decided, but admirable. The girl was the Avatar, her life would be as far from normal as possible, but that did not matter to Tarrlok. She was a non-factor now that he had this… _wonderful _Uzumaki to mold in his hands, like putty. Like water. And Tarrlok was a master waterbender.

Naruto looked at him, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes. Tarrlok would have deepened his grin to a smirk were it not disadvantageous to do so. He nodded slowly, stepping forward and calmly wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders.

He could feel Kurama's men with his bloodbending as they popped up, the regular guard of Naruto that the pathetically devious Uncle had assigned to his nephew. He shook his head, a subtle twitch of his hand and their bodies contorted painfully from his bloodbending. They would _not _stop his plans for the boy.

"You know, I lost my father to Republic City as well." Tarrlok looked up at nothing, lying through his teeth but his lies did not reach the boy. Only the words the naive blonde wanted to hear did. He looked up, bright blue eyes staring at Tarrlok.

"I understand the pain. And," He looked down with soft eyes at the boy, "I understand the feeling of wanting to protect what doesn't need protection. Heh," He chuckled, a genuine chuckle as he reminisced on his younger years that he had spent in Republic City, "You know, I once held the favor of your mother." A genuine truth, and Tarrlok lied to himself in saying he did not miss the Uzumaki woman. As much as he had tried to use her for her prowess, she had grown on him in her own fashion. The blonde's eyes flashed with shock.

"Really? My mother," He struggled with that word, seemingly forming a disconnect with his image of her and what she really was, "_Kushina, _you and her were a thing?" Tarrlok nodded, patting the boy's shoulders and chuckling.

"At one point. Heh," He shook his head with a huff of his nostrils, "I have tried to shield her from everything. But, she was a fiesty one. Wouldn't take no for an answer. I had a hard time keeping her to _my _standard of safe." Naruto looked down at his words, half truths feeding the boy what Tarrlok wanted to feed him, Naruto smiling softly and shaking his head with sad eyes.

"She sounds like Korra."

"They are one and the same it seems. History has a strange way of repeating itself." Tarrlok patted his back and then rested his hand on the ground, leaning back.

"I know what we can do Naruto. To _fix _this city, to keep Korra safe." He turned to look at Naruto, watching as the boy's eyes flashed with deep intrigue and focus. "To honor your mother." Tarrlok stood rapidly, the sensation of the cards falling perfectly in his hand overwhelming his control of his face and forcing a deep smile to sprawl across his face. He rapidly hid it by turning from Naruto and breathing deeply, controlling his giddy joy.

"What, What can we do! We are just two people, we are powerless to change this city." Naruto reasoned with desperation in his voice as he stared at Tarrlok's back. The councilman nodded slightly without turning to face the boy.

"That is true but…" Tarrlok turned, staring at Naruto with a fake determination burning in his eyes, fuelled by very real, very _monstrous _determination, "Republic City took your parents Naruto! The only way to avenge them is to take Republic City! It is a city full of corruption, of greed, of crime, of despair. We can fix all of that, together! I'll help you, and you'll help me! We'll help each other!" Tarrlok proclaimed, extending his hand towards Naruto, an open palm.

An invitation.

Naruto stared at it as lightning streaked across the sky through the windows.

* * *

Zolt's face twitched into a brief snarl as lightning streaked across the sky through the windows of his office, the man hunched over his cracked desk facing away from the two doors with a phone held up to his face.

"Listen, I fucking understand don't you get it? I _know _it's a big order, why do you think I'm calling you?... Yes… Yes I have the money I already told you that… No I don't care about the body… Fucki-listen. You _owe _me Fugaku. You know you do. And you know I'm good for it."

On the other side of the line, a man narrowed his eyes.

"None of that is relevant Zolt. What you are asking me to do is not a simple assassination. You are talking about killing the _King _of Republic City. The man has a tendency to make people who even think of doing that disappear. Your son comes to mind."

Zolt hitched his breath, gritting his teeth and snarling as he tightly closed his eyes, a tear threatening to push past the lids and over his lashes, though he reigned in the sign of weakness.

"Do not go there Fugaku."

"..."

"Listen, let's not forget something. _Your _son is in Republic City as well. That means he is under _my _discretion as well."

"You will not touch my son Zolt."

"Then it seems we have a deal Fugaku. I pay the 20 million and don't touch your precious kid, and you send someone to kill that son of a bitch Kurama."

"Hmmmmmmnnnnnn…"

"If your assassin fails I'll cover the cleanup, pay half, and I won't touch your kid."

"Deal."

"Good, now who're you gon-" *Knock Knock* "Sorry, it seems I've got some company. I'll be in touch soon Fugaku."

When Zolt put the phone down a baton lit up with electricity passed by where his hand had been, the man's eyes widening in frantic surprise.

With surprising nimbleness, Zolt hopped over his desk right before it was smashed to pieces by another electrified rod, courtesy of the Equalist member standing right in front of him now that was flanked by two others.

Zolt snarled an inhumane, animalistic snarl followed by a demonic growl. No. He would not be taken out by some pathetic Equalists now. Not when his son was in the ground. Not when Kurama still walked the planet. Now while Kurama's nephew still walked the planet. Not while his vengeance was still left unsatisfied.

The Equalists, though shook by Zolt's murderous aura, pressed forward. The lead raised his baton, lightning sparking about its frame while lightning streaked across the sky through the windows.

_**A flash of inspiration.**_

Zolt snapped his hand up before the baton could his his shoulder, catching it and glaring dangerously at the now shocked and terrified Equalist. Lightning sparked all around Zolt's body as he conducted the electricity with practiced ease.

"You would use electricity, _lightning, _against me? ME?! Do you know who I am?" Zolt raised his free hand up, fingers outstretched straight as electricity began to rapidly flare and spark all around his hand until a sort of cone formed around it. "I AM LIGHTNING BOLT ZOLT, YOUR MURDERER!"

Zolt heaved his arm forward.

A spray of blood.

Zolt looked down, shocked at what he had done. His hand had blown a hole through the Equalists with an unexpected ease. He looked past the now dead man's body to see the lightning cone sparking around his hand, and then his vision focused to the two terrified Equalists that had come with the body on his arm. He snarled, his anger reignited. His fingers split apart into two groups, index and middle, ring and pinkie, and Zolt aimed each group at the corresponding Equalists.

"Where are you going?" He whispered dangerously before the lightning flashed out from each group of fingers, connecting with their targets and rapidly creating charred bodies that smoked when they fell to the ground, revealing a Zolt standing with his hand through a man's chest, clean of blood.

He made a disgusted face, holding his free hand on the body's chest and slowly pushing, pulling his arm out of the man's chest and watching the way blood cascaded all over it from the action, a disgusting pulling and snapping noise filling his ears until finally he wrenched his hand free, staring at it's blood-covered surface as the body hit the ground.

Zolt stared at it, mystified, before he grinned. Slowly, lightning streaked across his hand in small arcs from fingertip to fingertip. Gradually a cone began to form around his hand as he surged more electricity across the surface of his hand, grinning dangerously as it burnt the blood clean from his skin into a steamy-smoke that billowed up from the tips of his hand.

* * *

"What shall I-_we _do now?" Naruto questioned, staring at Tarrlok after they had made their pact. Tarrlok hummed, wrapping his thumb and index around his chin before nodding.

"For now we should focus on your training. Your waterbending needs serious work if we are to cleanse this city." Naruto nodded.

"That makes sense, but, when we go to cleanse the city, where will we start?" Naruto asked, unsure of his answer. Tarrlok grinned.

"The Equalists naturally. I have heard rumors that Amon may be able to take a person's bending. If he were to get to Korra, the _Avatar, _he could make an example of her." Naruto's eyes widened, a horrific vision filling them, before he shook his head and snarled.

"No, we cannot allow that to happen." Naruto looked up when Tarrlok's hands were placed comfortingly on his shoulders, the older councilman smiling at him.

"And we won't, but we must still make sure you get stronger in order to face that madman. Go to tomorrow's pro-bending match and enjoy the match with Korra and your friends. But, more importantly," The man patted his shoulders and stepped back, a teacher's visage overcoming his face,

"Look for _**A flash of inspiration **_in the bender's movements. Perhaps you may make a new technique if you are creative enough."


	21. Chapter 21

Naruto staggered off of the ferry onto Air Temple Island, apprehension forming a metaphysical wall in front of him that he forced each step through, the effort heaving his body with each movement. In the dead of night his typically shining golden hair looked dull and dead, the blonde morphing in the darkness to look like bone. The hallucinative mistress that haunted and enthralled the young boy had disappeared. Abandoned him as had happiness.

While he slowly trudged through the island, avoiding the dorms, Naruto felt a sense of emptiness in his chest because it wasn't raining. He felt it within him that it should be raining, but it wasn't. Didn't the clouds know what strife was in his chest? This clawing at his sternum, this climbing of his vocal cords, and the tiny hands that tried to pry open his mouth to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the rooms Naruto found himself in to carry forth the splashing of sorrow, the heat of magma, and the echoing of a hollow cave.

At the moment Naruto could feel a new feeling. A struggle he had not known he had prior to this night. He struggled with an almost addict level of need. A need to speak. A deeply burning desire to move the boulder off his chest and the weight off his shoulders. It was getting harder and harder for Naruto to resist telling everyone. Just let them know what was going on. Let them know about the magma in his gut and the hollowness of his chest. The sea of sorrow that had shifted from his lungs to his veins and pulsed with each beat of his treacherous heart that continued to pump with emotion despite the dagger that had ripped it in two as it ripped his mother in half.

With each step the waves of sorrow swayed his body to either side. With each step the magma in his gut bubbled and spurted at this stomach to churn and melt it with the heat. With each step the hollowness in his chest made him lightheaded and threw off his balance. Regardless of the struggle he faced with each step, the boy carried on as he always had.

Slowly Naruto trodded into the training fields and looked at the spinning walls that had smacked against Korra numerous times. The same walls that had beaten down her ego more than anything else bending related ever had. The boy walked over towards the wooden effigy to Korra's progress and ran his hand across one of the board's surfaces slowly, his fingers picking up sweat and blood that his eyes couldn't. His mind filled in the blanks; vestiges of Korra's frame moving between the still boards and spinning with a victorious smile as it evaded all of them. Naruto would have smiled had his own image, further away and isolated, not formed as well.

He stood and stared at her dancing image, a facade of what was. A remnant. She spiraled and spiraled only to occasionally grunt out in both irritation and pain whenever one of the boards would smack into her frame and throw her off balance for the briefest of moments before she would gain the insight of the air and once more avoid the boards. Finally she made it through the gauntlet and fell to the ground in exhaustion, staring up at the sky with a euphoric smile on her face at having made progress.

Naruto, the real one, watched as the delusion of Korra turned her head to stare at the visage of the blonde sitting alone, further away than he probably should have been. The real Naruto watched as her smile stretched slightly, her heavy breathing still impeding her ability to fully convey emotion through her face. The real Naruto stared at this image, this hallucination, this _delusion_ of joy that was plastered across this fake Korra's face. He wanted to snarl, he did really, but he found he couldn't. Even if this joy was only an illusion, an image fabricated from the mind of a pathetically desperate dreg, it still dripped happiness into Naruto's frame to see Korra herself happy. Lately it seemed like Naruto was rarely the one to make the girl happy.

The boy sighed to himself and walked away. In a few moments his feet found themselves striding towards the outcropping of a cliff where he had taken Tarrlok's aptitude test at. He stared at the ocean. Simply watching as the waves moved periodically and calmly. Though, when Naruto looked up to the gleaming moon that reflected across their surface in a vast expanse, he found his eyes hurting and the waves moving a little harder in an almost aggressive manner. He grunted and stood tall against the glaring moon. Despite the pain flaring through his eyes and the almost primal rage he could feel burning towards his way a novel thought occurred to him. He promptly raised his hand and drew his attention to the empty space in front of him.

Wordlessly the winds bled into clear water that formed together on the edge of the cliff precariously floating above the fall to the ocean that splashed up angrily. His eyes watched, his face scrunching up slowly as emotion bled from his pupils and constricted his irises, as the image of his mother slowly formed from the water slowly. Her general shape formed first and the immediate reminiscence to his mother gripped his heart and made every beat of the organ painful. Her hair formed next and even with only the clear detailing of water Naruto was sure he could feel how silky the surface would be on his fingertips. Finally her face formed and Naruto felt the metaphorical dam behind his eyes crack. The smile upon this physical personification of his delusions broke it.

Tears leaked from his eyes, the blur forcing color into the otherwise clear water and fully completing the image of his mother. She stopped in front of him, hands laced together in front of her as she smiled softly at him, her violet eyes tucked slightly and beaming warmth into his frame. Her violet eyes radiated comfort. Her creamy skin the epitome of joy.

Why wasn't she walking towards him more? Why wasn't she closing this distance? Why... why was this distance so vast? Naruto reached out, trying to reach her and even staggering forward in his desperation, but she stepped backwards quickly while maintaining her smile. From his stagger Naruto fell to his knees, heaving forward onto his palms and allowing tears to pour from his eyes onto the ground, gritting his teeth tightly and snarling to himself.

From his spot on the ground Naruto clenched his eyes painfully. His throat _burned. _The magma that was normally dormant, if volatile, in his gut was threatening to bubble up and expel from his mouth in a fiery plume of anger and hurt. He tried to stop it with all of his might, fingers lacing around his gut and pulling tightly at the southern water tribe shirt that covered it. He slammed his head into the ground and tried to use the cool stone to cool his body, but nothing was working. This feeling, this fiery animosity bubbling forth from deep within his gut, continued to burn and burn and burn and _burn and burn and burn and __**burn and burn and burn **_in his chest until it threatened to melt through his muscle, his skin, his bone to force out of his mouth and burn away everything he had ever known.

Naruto raised his fist and reached for his mother while tightly shutting his mouth and pulling back its edges to try and force the magma back down his throat. The visage, the facade, of his mother merely smiled at him and cocked her head slightly in recognition of his ordeal. The lava split his lips for the briefest of moments, and desperation gave birth to action.

He slammed his right fist on the ground. The pain that shot through his meaty exterior to rock his very bones with the vibration of impact cooled the magma in his chest that continued to try and spew forth from his throat. He enjoyed the feeling, the cooling relief that shot through his meaty limp through the magma trying to burn through his system. So he did it again. And again. And again. And again and again andagainandagainandagain_andagainandagainandagain__**andagainandagainandagain. **_

While this moment of pathetic, desperate relief did soothe the fury that threatened to swallow him whole, it did not make his mother come closer. It did not change her smile to a kiss on his cheek. It did not change _water _to _**flesh. **_She was gone.

Where was the rain?

Was his sorrow not worth the rain?

He looked up with beat red eyes that were puffy and blurred, unfocused. He snarled at the visage of his mother even as the tears upon his cheeks continued to multiply. She was _fake. _Everything he had ever known was _fake. _So, naturally, this sorrow was not worth the rain. Not worth the struggle. Not worth the pain it was putting him through.

Naruto raised his left hand slowly into the air while his right arm pushed his up slightly. His vision cleared as the tears slowed. The hand in the air slowly contorted, twisted, into a claw-like palm.

With a mighty heave Naruto threw it to the side and subsequently tore the image of his mother in half, the water flying to either side and evaporating into the wind. The effort forced Naruto onto the ground. His shoulder impacted heavily with the ground creating a smack of flesh that resounded through Naruto's cranium louder than the pain did behind his eyes.

He laid there for a while with unfocused eyes, hazy and lost. Like his eyes were adjusting to the light, but they weren't. Like a sheet had been pulled over his head but it hadn't. Like the sorrow had vanished from his chest but, if only to torment him further, it hadn't. In fact, as he lay there, it continued to fester and grow in his chest, unchecked by his conscious thought. This sorrow grew and grew and grew. And changed. And twisted. And churned. It grew darker and darker, infesting his chest with deep thorns that ran through his bloodstream and stabbed into his limbs.

It was a while until he groaned and slowly pushed himself back up onto his feet, staggering forward a little as he did so. It hurt to move now, but he was thankful that the pain blurred over his conscious thought and made it impossible for him to sit and ponder on what _would _happen, on what _had _happened, and instead allowed Naruto to solely focus on the moment. On the _now. _He enjoyed that feeling more than he thought he would, and in a moment of brazen bravery, figured that it was time to return to his room.

For the first time in weeks, possibly months, Naruto wanted sleep.

* * *

Korra had been awake, if only slightly, when the door to Naruto's room opened with a slight squeak from the hinge and a grumble from the boy that walked in. She peaked from under his covers, a pale blue eye shimmering with an odd mixture of emotions that was indecipherable to any that would have peered at it, though no one had or ever would. She watched as he moved slowly through his room, that Korra was currently trying to sleep in (though she had really been trying to stay up for his return so that she could talk to him about that file.) Where had he been for so long?

She watched from her secret little spy hole under the blanket as he stepped on the manilla folder, slipping briefly as some of the contents spilled out with the movement of his foot, prompting him to look down. Korra watched as the weight of infinite world's hefted itself upon his visage and he seemed to gain 50 years to his face when his eyes laid their focus on the contents of the folder. He blinked slowly, just staring at it, before he shook his head and leaned down, collecting the reports and notes that belonged in the folder and stood up, looking towards the drawer where they had been before Korra found them, only to blink in surprise upon finding the forms of Lucy and Luke sleeping _on top _of the drawer.

Korra would have laughed had she not dealt with trying to get the children to sleep in his bed to no avail. It was 'big brother Naruto's!' not theirs. She relented after about 30 attempts. The boy however merely shook his head, walking over to them and ruffling their hair slightly with a dully warm smile on his face before tucking in the folder in the drawer beneath their forms. How they fit together on the drawer, Korra didn't know, but at this point she was too tired of their antics to care.

Finally Naruto turned and looked to the bed. Korra watched as his eyes widened a fraction of an inch when they gazed upon the lump her body formed on his bed under his blankets, but instead of irritation or anger Korra watched as an odd mixture of happiness and sorrow splashed across the surface of his eyes. She could see clearly, even in the dim lighting of the moon, the way the emotions moved together without mixing much like water and oil. In this moment Korra held her breath as she was mesmerized by the clarity of feeling within Naruto's eyes. She had never seen him without the guard on his emotions completely down, and while it had saddened her before, now it devastated her.

Why was he keeping such beautiful emotion from her?

She didn't have time to contemplate on that question when the boy stepped towards the bed with closed eyes, the weight of weeks worth lost sleep pushing the lids down and locking them with a massive ornate lock. A bundle of nerves tightened in Korra's chest as he leaned over her. What was he doing?

With a mighty sigh the boy pulled himself over her and settled into the bed beside her. Korra held her breath with wide eyes while he pulled the covers up and pulled them over himself, groaning slightly while fluffing his pillow and finally sighing in contentment when the sound of a head hitting a pillow met her ears.

Korra could hear her own heart beat in her ears as the nervous bundle in her chest tightened into a ball of apprehension and anxiety. The worst part was she didn't know _why _she was so nervous, it was just Naruto for spirits sake!

Korra lost herself in a jumble of thoughts that confused, excited, scared, and made her tremble all at once while she laid there, body tensed, for what felt like an eternity. Her ears could pick up nothing beside her heartbeat and the soft sounds of Naruto's breathing. Her eyes stung from how wide they were, and she was unnaturally aware of the way her body moved with each pulse of blood in her veins. She could feel the heat radiating from Naruto's frame, and she could feel the way the bed dipped from his weight.

Korra's mind went blank when the boy groaned slightly and turned over towards her. His arm went up under the covers and over her body and tucked his hand under her stomach to pull her closer to him. His other hand forced itself under her stomach to reach his other hand and link together, pulling her closer once more to make her back meet his chest.

Korra didn't think anything, merely stared forward with wide open eyes at nothing, until she felt Naruto bury his face into her hair and pull her as close as possible in a desperate grip. Korra was confused, unsure of what he was doing, until she felt and heard him whimper slightly. Korra's focus was pulled away from her nerves, which vanished instantly, and immediately focused upon Naruto's form and what he was doing. She could feel a slight wetness on the back of her neck, which meant that he was _crying. _Naruto _**never **_cried around her. She remained quiet, fearing the possibility of ruining this seemingly very important moment for Naruto.

He continued to clutch her in a desperate grasp. Had Korra been a lesser woman she may have been uncomfortable with how tightly he was pulling her, but she was far too close to Naruto to be upset over the tension over her stomach or the way she could feel his nose push into her nape. She closed her eyes, trying to focus as much as she could on the boy and what he was doing.

"...ry." He was whispering to himself! She tightened her eyes and pouted her lip outward slightly in focus. He whimpered slightly, and Korra could tell he was trying to be as quiet as possible from the way he sucked in air rapidly through his teeth. His sobs were forced, hushed, fast. Sharp. They cut into Korra's ears and began to form tiny slashes across her heart, anguish for Naruto forming in her heart. She felt as if the pain Naruto was experiencing was resonating with her chest, and she almost wanted to sob with him.

"I'm sorry." He whispered quietly, and Korra had to raise her hand quickly to her mouth to stop herself from sobbing. A tear rolled down her cheek, her vision blurring the image of the moon through the window as she felt Naruto's pain force its way through her body into her heart. The boy pulled her closer, his head curling into the back of her neck and burying his face into her hair. He seemed to be sobbing less now, but the pain she heard in his voice told her world's worth.

Naruto had hidden anguish, hurt, _**suffering **_from Korra.

Another tear escaped her eye, and Korra felt, in that moment, as he clutched her and sobbed quietly into her back while she was unknown to him awake, that they had never been closer.

Korra made a resolution that night to try and make that closeness the norm between them.

* * *

_Alright this chapter is a little weird so go ahead and make sure to review so I know how you all feel about it. Peace._


	22. Chapter 22

Kurama sighed as he stood embracing his lonesome in his penthouse. The large glass panes overlooking Republic City gleamed in the moonlight. The scarlet haired King of Republic City glared at that massive rock as he felt it's leering gaze. He felt the way it teased and taunted him. He snarled at the glowing rock with all of the animosity he could generate. His time spent after losing his bending had instilled within the man an intense hatred of spirits and their uncanny enjoyment in pushing their conflicts into the physical world.

What people outside of the Uzumaki and Otsutsuki clans, the two great northern clans, did not know was that The Moon spirit and The Mistress spirit had a rivalry that had been strong running since the beginning of time. The Moon gained control of the watery oceans, so The Mistress gained control of the watery winds. The Moon gained a clan to worship it and blessed them. The Mistress found a lonely man forsaken by The Moon and granted him bending, blessing the man and creating the Uzumaki as a consequence.

This long running rivalry burned within the blood of the two great northern clans. The Uzumaki and the Otsutsuki hated each other for as long as their clans had been alive. This rivalry had trickled down all the way through time itself until The Mistress gained the upper hand. Kurama had been that upper hand.

Shaking his head to rid it of old history and in turn ignoring the moon as it glared dangerously at him Kurama chose instead to turn his eyes to the photo in his hands. Kushina's smiling face reflected in the light of his violet eyes, and soon sadness joined the reflection. Eventually memories of long lost joy and long forgotten sorrow forced a curtain of reminiscence to shroud the violet orbs and force the eyelids to close over them.

Better times had passed. He would deal with the present and ignore the past. A line he had been telling himself since his clan was taken from him at the hands of the spirit that had interlinked the Uzumaki DNA with itself and granted spirituality to physicality.

Turning around, Kurama strode further into his empty house while gazing at the photo. Kushina would know how to deal with her son. She was always an emotional genius. Always knew what someone was thinking. What someone was planning. What someone wanted. Always knew when someone was lying. When someone was hiding. When someone needed help. There was no possible way to deceive Kushina, it was simply impossible. Kurama wondered if the reason lay in her much earlier than usual introduction to the mistress. Regardless, it didn't matter now. She was _dead. _

Kurama's thoughts were interrupted as a blast of fire hit his chest. The man remained standing and staring at the photo in his eyes. It caught fire, the material curling and glowing a certain orange that bled into the rest of the colors and mixed into a charred black. He watched with guarded eyes as Kushina's smiling face burned away into a charred ash that blew in the ambient wind of his penthouse. His fingers remained unburned, as was his chest despite the hole burned through his suit.

Raising his eyes Kurama found a black haired teen staring at him. Spiky hair in a similar style to Naruto's made the man raise a scarlet brow delicately. The teen raised his own ebony brows in a pleasant surprise, like he was happy with something. The boy smirked and bowed before raising up to his full height and beaming black eyes into Kurama's own violet orbs.

"So you have some sort of immunity to fire too huh? I didn't think my target would have something like that, it's pretty cool. If you don't mind, may I ask how you are able to achieve such a thing?" The teen's voice was full of curiosity and genuine joy. It did nothing to deter the narrowing of Kurama's eyes in calculative pondering.

"Your target huh?" Kurama leaned his head to his sides casually, looking up at the ceiling in thought for a moment. "Been a while since someone was dumb enough to send an assassin after me. What makes you any different from the dozen or so that came before you huh? From how you said it you must have a fire immunity too, but that won't do you any good against me since I'm not even a bender anymore, and when I _was _I was a waterbender. So I'm having a really hard time figuring out why you would be sent after me with the expectation of being able to kill me when so many others that were better fit to kill me failed." Kurama explained casually as if talking about the weather. The boy opposite of him smiled since he was happy that his target was so entertaining. He followed with his bullshit like no one else had!

"Well," the teen raised his hand, inspecting his nails and leaning on Kurama's wall, "For one I'm an Uchiha." He looked up to his target, the imposing Scarlet haired man raising a single brow as well as a corner of his mouth.

"That supposed to mean somethin' to me? I mean, the Uchiha are a rather wealthy family from what I gather, but I don't generally deal in affairs outside of Republic City. And well, the Fire Nation is pretty damn far out of that." The boy nodded while staring at his nails.

"Even if you knew more about us me telling you that wouldn't mean shit honestly. The clan does some pretty fucked up shit, but all of it's under the table you know? Everything else that is public is really clean. Like a hospital." The man nodded at the boy's words, even chuckling.

"Hehe, shit. We're not too different then. I mean, I practically run all of the criminal activities in Republic City, well, the profitable ones anyway. Even run a company on the side. Real difference is that most people know I'm doing that shit." The boy peaked a brow upwards, and the man inclined his head towards him with a cheeky smile, "Thing is, I'm clean. No evidence against me you know?" The boy laughed and pulled himself off of the wall.

"Same here. Hmpf… I guess another reason I was called to kill ya is because I'm only 16 but I've got around…" the boy tossed his head from back and forth and chewed on his bottom lip in thought, "I'd say… 30 confirmed kills or so. Maybe that'll give ya an answer?" The boy's tone wasn't one of ego but genuine hope that an answer could be found. Kurama chuckled dryly, staring at him.

"I had 84 when I was 14 so… That ain't it kid. Impressive that you're only 16 though, not many people can sneak up on me." The kid's eyes shot open, but quickly they settled back into a calm gaze as he stared at the older man. Kurama grinned seeing the reaction. This was quite an interesting night.

"Tell you what, what's your name kid?" Kurama asked curiously, staring at the boy with his violet eyes glowing with a light orange tint to them that intimidated the boy if only slightly. The boy smiled, bowing again.

"Shisui Uchiha at your service. I've been tasked with killing you, but as for why well, we haven't figured that out yet have we?" Shisui finished by raising again and looking at Kurama confidently, a grin marking his face. Kurama nodded with a look to his ceiling in thought, hand palming his chin.

"Hmm… no I think I've got it actually, though it's only a theory. But, if I'm right well," Kurama looked at Shisui and the boy felt a cold shiver run through his spine, "I'll be very… _intrigued._" The way the man's voice shifted so easily from a pleasant drawl to an oppressive and dominant growl made Shisui wonder if he was truly a man.

"And uh… what's that theory then pal?" Shisui asked casually while skillfully hiding his nerves like he had been trained to do since he was but a boy. Kurama's chuckle broke his control over his nerves though, and his next words struck fear into his heart.

"The Uchiha have a spirit tied to them, don't they?" Instantly a tanto was to the man's throat and eyes with fire burning in them were glaring at him from inches away. Shisui growled, pressing the blade into his throat but surprisingly Kurama's skin did not split but instead glowed orange. Shisui ignored the abnormality.

"How do you know about Amaterasu?" A quiet demand said through a guttural growl. Kurama was impressed, it was almost as intimidating as his growl. But not nearly enough to get Kurama's blood flowing. The man chuckled despite the blade at his throat while the teen pressed against him with tense arms.

"Really now, did you think your clan was the only one? Hehe, you know what? _Let me give you a history lesson._" Before Shisui could react, a glowing orange hand grasped his throat dangerously and he felt his body hoisted into the air. He looked down despite his struggle for air and stared into the glowing orange eyes of his target. Who was this man!?

"My name is Kurama _Uzumaki. _Heheh, heard of us eh?" Kurama laughed cheerfully at the widening of Shisui's eyes despite his clawing at the orange glowing hand and his struggle to breathe.

"Kahhgh… The… The same Uzumaki that… ghauh… fought off Firelord Ozai's armies with… KAH!" Kurama's grip tightened and he grinned, a dangerous euphoria gleaming in his eyes.

"Yes. We assisted Avatar Aang in the final battle against that Tyrant. Now you know you're fucked huh? Then again, I'm not really a full Uzumaki anymore. I can't even fucking bend. Ain't that pathetic?" Kurama chuckled dryly and looked down, before his head snapped up and he brought Shisui closer to him to whisper in his ear quietly. "But if a pathetic non-bender like me can manhandle you like this… what does that make you? _What does that make the Uchiha?_" Kurama waited for an answer, grinning madly at the boy in his hand, before leaning closer. "Anything?"

The boy's black hair shadowed his eyes and his body went limp. Did Kurama kill him? That'd be a shame, the boy was entertaining and he deserved a better death than that. Plus Kurama wanted to explore what other clans that were connected with spirits outside of the two great northern clans were capable of. Damn, what a sha-

"Burn eternal, Amaterasu!" Suddenly the boy was enveloped in flames as black as the night sky and Kurama was forced to jump away, dropping the boy and looking at his hand as it was covered in black flames.

'_What the…' _He thought to himself, staring at the flames that were burning away at his fucking chi! His chi! Since when the fuck could fire do that! Quickly, almost desperately, Kurama expelled the chi from his arm and watched as the flames fell onto the ground and continued to burn through the bundle of chi beneath them. The flames could fucking burn chi, what the fuck!?

He looked up as he heard feet shuffling and watched as the boy pushed himself up off of the ground. Black flames burned frantically from his body, but Kurama noted the way they didn't burn at the boy's body. He was hunched over and rubbing his neck with a grimace. Clearly Kurama's grip from earlier _had _nearly killed the boy. Kurama smiled up until the boy raised his head, and instead Kurama's smile shifted into a thin line and his eyes narrowed.

Where black irises should have been staring at him he found glowing red eyes adorned with a pinwheel pattern made of black.

"So your spirit can be physically manifested as well? Hmm…" Kurama muttered to himself and slowly settled into a sort of brawler stance as his skin began to glow orange all over his body. His arms came up to guard his head and his eyes narrowed, focused and dangerous. With the sort of power granted to the Uzumaki from the physical manifestation of the Mistress, Kurama was weary of what this 'Amaterasu' spirit granted the Uchiha boy in front of him.

"For you to push me to use this…" The hunched over boy slowly rose to his full height with a soft chuckle that reverberated through the penthouse. He gripped the wall and Kurama watched as black flames leaked from his hand and began burning away at his house. The man narrowed his eyes. He could already see the battle plan that boy was trying to employ. "You really are a worthy target. Fantastic." The boy fully rose and gleamed burning red eyes into Kurama's own violet orbs that were singed with orange.

"So you've gained special flames from linking with your spirit. This is manifested through the physical changes to your eyes and the burst of black flames from your body, am I correct? These flames can even burn chi. What a dangerous power this Amaterasu gives you." Kurama said with a dead focused voice. The boy laughed and clutched as his face. Kurama's eyes narrowed as he watch some blood leak slightly from the boy's eyes. So that was the physical damage done by using the spirit…

"The black flames of Amaterasu lack light and burn away everything down to ash for 7 days and 7 nights. I am sorry to say, but you will not survive this Kurama. It has been a pleasure though." Shisui spoke slowly and his voice gained focus, though egotistical confidence bled through every word. Kurama narrowed his eyes and tightened his stance.

"A spirit has not stopped me before Shisui, and it will not stop me now. I will make sure your family gets a packet of your blood." The boy didn't respond and instead launched a volley of black fireballs at Kurama. The man skillfully ducked and weaved between all of them and launched off of his foot towards the boy at blurring speeds. Shisui could not react and a fist to the gut that rocked him backwards into the wall. Kurama was forced to stop his assault and he hissed, looking down at the hand he used and finding it burning away in the black flames once more. Shaking his head, he expelled some more chi from his body to rid the flame from his hand and refocused on the boy as he clawed at the wall to pick himself up.

"You're fast, but you can't stand the test of these flames. Eventually whatever you are doing to pull them off with will run out or fail or something. Amaterasu burns _everything _Kurama. There is no escaping your fate. Lay down and _**die.**_" Shisui growled before taking the offensive and rushing the man. Kurama's eyes widened and he began to dodge the attacks of the suddenly much faster boy than before hand.

He could see the boy's plan. Keeping up a continual assault would force Kurama to react to the blows and stop him from expelling his chi and therefore keep him from removing the black flames from his body. Smart, but as long as Kurama dodged he could-

A fist slammed into Kurama's face but a hand at the back of his head forced it to stay put. Before he could react the fist slammed into his face again and again. Three strikes blurred his vision and a fourth made the man snarl and grab the fist, twisting it painfully while he stepped forward despite the black flames burning away at the chi all over his body. Shisui's eyes widened in fear as he tried to wrench his hand from Kurama's glowing orange grip.

"You're testing my patience brat." Kurama growled before slamming his fist into Shisui's face and watched as the boy skidded across his penthouse and shook his head while he gradually expelled chi from the areas where the flames were still burning on his body. Stretching his chi thin across his whole body was weakening the power of his blows. If he was going to end this fast, like he needed to, he needed to focus on of his chi into a single blow like he usually did and make the boy a red paste across his wall, but with those black flames that was dangerous.

He just needed to ensure a good hit. He could expel the flames after the boy was dead. He just needed one good hit.

Kurama settled into a loose stance, bouncing on his toes like a boxer, while watching Shisui slowly and painfully pull himself off of the ground. The boy glared at Kurama and made for an intimidating sight as Kurama's penthouse went up in black flames that licked and tasted the air with a fiendish fervor. Kurama did not react to the sight and instead flexed his hand.

"I will kill you Kurama. Failure is worse than death for an Uchiha." Shisui growled out dangerously with narrowed eyes. Kurama grinned.

"You will experience both today Shisui." Kurama spoke with a confidence that angered Shisui and prompted the boy to launch forward, dragging his hand through the air creating trails of black flame that burned the very air. He launched a lance of black flames towards the older man and followed it up with 3 fireballs as he neared the man's frame.

Kurama ducked under the lance and sidestepped the fireballs before contorting his back into an arch as he ducked under a flying grapple. Quickly Kurama snapped his body upwards and grabbed Shisui's foot out of the air before the boy's body flew too far and slammed him into the floor causing the stone to crack under the impact. The boy didn't react though his eyes bled a fair bit more. Before Kurama could press the advantage Shisui produced a jet of black flame out from the bottom of his foot and flew off while also forcing Kurama to expel more of his chi from his chest to watch it fall to the ground being burned by the flames.

Shisui shot a jet of flame out of his left hand and used it to turn and rocket himself into Kurama. The two barrelled through the building, tumbling over furniture and even through a bookcase until they slammed into one of the walls, flying through it as it broke apart from the impact.

Kurama groaned from his spot on the ground, his head fuzzy from impacting heavily with a stone wall. He shook his head and looked for Shisui and found the boy ahead of him in a similar situation. Looking around Kurama noticed he was in his bedroom, the massive bed at his right. Quickly expelling some chi from his chest to force the flames off of him, Kurama pulled himself up.

Shisui shook his head from the haze it was in. He felt lightheaded while at the same time his head felt as if it had a 50 pound weight wrapped around it dragging it down. Finally managing to form a coherent thought, Shisui began to try and pull himself up. '_He took the brunt of the hit. He's gotta be feeling it worse than me. I've gotta get up and end this no-' _Shisui's thoughts were interrupted as a massive wooden bed and slammed across his frame. Shisui felt his feet leave the ground as he felt his ribcage crack.

Kurama inhaled and exhaled heavily while looking around and getting a lay of the land. His house was burning to the ground. Everywhere he looked he could see plumes of black flame burning away everything. That included the oxygen in the building. He had to end this fast. Turning to see where the bed frame he had hit the boy with was split in two Kurama found the surprisingly resilient teen pulling himself out of the wooden shards and rubble from the stone floors.

"You know, my father thought that the reason the spirits chose the northern clans was because of our unnaturally high physical chi. He thought the spirits balanced our chis by infusing their own spirituality into our blood, creating much stronger benders than should be naturally possible. Seeing how you managed to survive all this shit lends some weight to what he thought." Kurama told the boy who stumbled out of the rubble while leaning from side to side.

Before Shisui could ready himself Kurama slammed a fist into his gut and followed it up with another fist to his face. The boy flew through the air and landed on his back, hissing while pulling his chin to rest on his chest and glaring at the man even as blood freely flowed from his burning red eyes and even trailed from his mouth slightly. He would end this here.

Shisui got up quickly, his determination and years of training forcing the pain out of his consciousness, before he began a breathing practice. As Kurama slowly walked forward, a symptom of his naturally dominant fighting style he looked around his house, noting the way the flames surged and died down slightly with each breath Shisui took. The man narrowed his eyes in attentive focus.

"What're you planning Shisui?" Kurama called out loudly. He was deliberately trying to pull the boy's focus from whatever he was doing to his voice. His grew brighter and brighter as he pushed more and more chi into his skin to harden his body for the oncoming attack.

"Killing you." Shisui whispered before snapping his eyes open and clapping his hands. All of the flame in the house formed into vortexes that spiralled in front of Kurama forming a black dragon made of flames that lapped at the air and licked at existence. Kurama stared up, genuine fear trickling into his chest slightly for the first time in his life.

"Die." Shisui's voice prompted the dragon to scream a silent growl before launching downward onto Kurama with an open maw that chomped onto the man and engulfed him in black flames that burned away at his chi rapidly.

Shisui stared at the fiery tornado with narrowed eyes. '_He should be screaming.' _Shisui's thought echoed silently in his head until suddenly a loud siren of pain echoed through his head and stopped all coherent thought from forming and forcing the boy to look down, finding a glowing hand stuck through his stomach. He looked up, finding Kurama's glowing orange eyes burning into his own.

The evidence of Amaterasu's influence left his body, his eyes returning to ebony and the spewing black flames evaporating. The spiraling inferno behind Kurama dissipated into the air as Shisui smiled slightly, hunching over Kurama's hand.

"You were… You were a good fight old man." Shisui whimpered while grasping onto Kurama's shoulder and trying to bear the pain. Kurama said nothing even as the glowing orange of his skin slowly shifted and began to focus on his free hand as he raised it into the air.

"You were as well, Shisui Uchiha." He brought the glowing hand down and felt the weight on his chest disappear as did Shisui Uchiha.

* * *

Naruto awoke feeling unusually rejuvenated. He felt as if he had been filled by energy, as if a previously empty reservoir had suddenly and rapidly filled to the brim and flowed through his body giving him energy and relaxation.

He fluttered open his eyes and found the sun gleaming through the window of his room at the Air Temple Island. He closed his eyes again as he tried to clear the hazy memories from the night prior, pushing himself up in the bed slightly and palming his forehead. That's right, he had come home late after… after…

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at nothing. His eyes vibrated madly and sporadically. He had signed a pact with the devil. He had formed a contractual, parasytic, _partnership_ with the very man he had promised Tenzin he wouldn't. His other hand raised to palm his head with it's brother hand, squeezing inward on Naruto's skull until the pressure built to a painful headache as the boy continued pressing in on his head.

What was he becoming?

Tiny hands slapping on his bed in front of him distracted Naruto from his troubling thoughts and brought his attention to the pair of children at his bedside. Little Luke and Lucy stared up at him with shining eyes and glinting smiles.

"Big~Bro~Naruto! Big~Bro~Naruto!" They chanted in unison, smiling up at him with toothy grins and slapping their hands on his bed in excitement. Naruto smiled softly, reaching forward and patting their heads.

"You guys woke up before me huh? How early did you guys get up?" Naruto asked while swinging his legs off of the bed and getting up, stretching his arms out into the air and curling his body a little at the action. The older girl jumped up with curled fists while Naruto pulled his shirt off exposing many bruises across his chest from the brief test of skill Tarrlok had 'administered'.

"Two hours ago!" Naruto looked at the girl with shock sparking through his eyes.

"Two hours ago!? That musta been like 5 or 6 in the morning!" Naruto exclaimed with a cheeky smile and patting the girl's head, though she looked at him with puffed up cheeks and a comical frown on her face.

"No! It's 10! I know, I learned how to read the clock!" Lucy exclaimed proudly while puffing out her chest produly with an arrogant smirk, though her brother shook his head despite Naruto's wide eyes.

"Uhmmm noooo. Big Bro's got a digital clock in his room, you just read that don't lie." While the siblings continued to bicker Naruto confirmed their words and looked to his clock. It really _was _10! He had slept that much? Before Naruto could contemplate more on that note a voice sounded from the hall.

"...Luke? Lucy? Korra told you two to not bother Naruuuu...Heyyyy." Asami said awkwardly as she walked into the doorframe, looking at Naruto's bare chest. Her green eyes trailed across the expanse of skin, briefly stopping near each bruise until she finished up her fast observation and met Naruto's eyes. The boy stared at her with wide eyes and a dropped open 'o' shape of his lips. She chuckled awkwardly, trying to defuse the awkwardness of the situation.

"Heheh hehhhhh… Korra sent me to get these two. Uhhhh…" Asami looked away from Naruto, leaning on the doorframe and rubbing the back of her head slightly in a nervous manner, "Just come out to the dining hall when you're up and ready, kay'?" Asami finished and gave Naruto a warm smile with squinted eyes and a tilt of her head. Naruto nodded dumbly and stared at her retreating form even as the siblings shoved past his legs to race each other back to the dining area.

Shaking his head Naruto regretfully pulled his thoughts away from Asami and the way her clothes hugged her form back to the Tarrlok situation. He palmed his head and grit his teeth, openly grimacing while sitting back down on his bead and hunching forward.

He knew siding with the man was wron-not the best choice. He _knew _the man had used words and stories of his mother against him. The man had _used _his desperation for his parents against him. Naruto _knew _this. But even if it was just a rouse, even if it was just a false promise built on a mountain of lies, Naruto would risk anything to see that Korra lived a normal, a calm, a content life. An _**easy **_life.

He was a fool for sure.

But his life was not an important one.

* * *

Asami strolled back into the dining area and immediately locked her eyes onto the table where Korra and Kuvira sat across from each other enjoying a late breakfast and having a small conversation filled with pleasantries and unimportant subjects. The two siblings at Asami's heels ran past her and loudly sat next to Kuvira and began pestering the woman about random tidbits of information.

'So can metalbenders still earthbend!?'

'Can you show us!'

'What about singing? Can you sing too?'

'Why do you have your hair up in a bun? It would look better loose!'

Asami chuckled as she sat down beside Korra and watched a 9 year old girl give fashion advice to a 19 year old soldier. She shook her head and turned to Korra who seemed to have a question for her.

"Naruto was up. I told him to come out when he's ready. Those two were already up and bickering while he just stood there with this dumb look on his face." The two shared a laugh, and Korra look down at her food but not really staring at it as a small, warm smile came over her face. Asami scrunched her brows though a little bit and decided to bring something up with Korra that was bothering her at the moment.

"Though, there was something a little weird about him." Korra latched onto Asami's words and stared at her with intense eyes.

"What do you mean?" Surprisingly Kuvira had beaten Korra to the answer, and the Avatar and Asami turned to stare at the soldier and found the siblings running around the dining area playing with each other excitedly. Seemed they enjoyed tag. Shaking her head, Asami continued.

"Well, when I got in there he had his shirt off," Seeing the other girls' looks Asami quickly reeled back and gestured her hands in a placating manner, "No no no that's not the weird thing. I've seen guy's chests before." Asami blushed slightly and crossed her arms across her chest.

"What was weird?" Korra asked quietly, staring at Asami with an intense care in her eyes. Asami could see the depth of how much the girl cared for Naruto, and Asami smiled, before dropping her smile and looking down at nothing as the images of Naruto's chest flashed through her head.

"He had these… these massive bruises all over his chest. If I didn't know any better I'd say it looked like he was hit by a Satomobile, but they were too small for that. They were just… really dark and almost gross looking, you know what I mean girls?" Asami looked up and found that they looked concerned.

"Dark hm? How big were they?" Kuvira asked, leaning over the table and pushing aside her empty plate to the edge of the wood. Asami estimated with her hands, forming a medium sized circle with her fingers linking together. Kuvira and Korra looked at it before sharing a quick glance.

"Seems like a spar or…" Kuvira started but trailed off while Korra narrowed her eyes in a worried manner.

"A fight." Korra finished and looked down at nothing, imagining Naruto in a fight before looking back up at Asami. "Did he have any marks on his face?" Asami looked up remembering what Naruto looked like before shaking her head no in a negative.

"So it's not a fight then… who would he be sparring that intensely with?" Korra asked no one in particular, more of a wandering thought, but a dark look came over Kuvira's face and the soldier looked up into Asami and Korra's eyes.

"Tarrlok." Kuvira's voice was low, a near whisper, but the other two girls heard it and looked at her with shocked, almost accusatory looks.

"_Tarrlok? _Tarrlok!? Why would he be sparing with Tarrlok? Why would he go to him in the first place? Isn't he supposed to be some bad dude? I mean, Tenzin has told us left and right to avoid him!" Korra questioned in a burst of emotion, nearly standing up but forcing herself to sit down and instead lean over the table to stare at Kuvira in a fanatical manner. Kuvira shook her head and recalled the practice for the dance.

"I don't know why but during practice he randomly stumbled and, and he looked scared of something. Said he wanted to talk to Tarrlok about getting better at waterbending." Kuvira mentioned while trying to remember the conversation more. "It was weird. He got… mad when we tried to tell him no. And when I brought up that there were other options for that he got really defensive. And the idea of leaving Republic City for it was an absolute no. He made a lot of points about how much we've got going on right now like the dance, the equalists. He even brought up your pro-bending matches Korra." Kuvira looked up and met the Avatar's eyes and found worry swarming through the blue waters.

"Did he say anything else?" Kuvira shook her head at Korra's answer before suddenly looking up remembering a few things.

"Well, that Kurama guy even didn't like the idea. I'd hate to trust his word on anything but he seemed to genuinely hate Tarrlok."

"Anyone who can make _that _guy hate them must be some real son of a bitch." Korra's candid words made the girls' brows raise, but they found that they couldn't help but agree with her.

"You guys got any clue as to why he'd be so gung-ho about getting training?" Kuvira asked and paid attention to the way Korra and Asami looked down slightly in an almost downtrodden manner as if what they were recalling was sad. She would come to find that this was true.

"Actually… yeah. I don't know if we should tell you. I mean, Naruto hasn't told anyone about it as far as I know and well… we only found out about it by accident." Asami mentioned softly and looked at Kuvira in a placating manner, but Korra shook her head forcefully.

"No we should tell her. I don't think anyone else is gonna help _us _help _Naruto. _We all want to help him, right?" Korra looked up from her thoughts and found the other two girls staring at her in a determined manner. Kuvira nodded in affirmative.

"Yes, definitely yes. You guys in such a short time have become probably some of my best friends, and Naruto was the first. I was nervous about being your guard, I mean, you're the Avatar Korra! I didn't know what you'd be like, I wasn't sure how to approach you about it, and I shamefully hid in the men's dorms for a while to try and get over it but I just couldn't. But when Naruto showed up well, he stopped all of that. In only a few days he managed to turn a job into something to look forward to." Kuvira spoke honestly, looking up with conviction at Korra and nodding once more with a smirk of determination on her face. Korra nodded with a smile and looked to Asami.

"You too right Asami?" Asami smiled and nodded slightly.

"I mean, have you seen how he is with kids? It'd be a crime not to help somebody as nice as Naruto is." Asami said with a small chuckle that was echoed by the other two girls before Korra nodded at her too.

"Then it's settled. We'll all try and help Naruto out of this funk." Korra put her arm out on the table by loudly slamming her elbow down and leaving her palm out for the other two to grab. Kuvira grabbed it first in a hearty grip and shook it a little while grinning at Korra. Asami followed by softly placing both her hands on the two other girl's almost arm wrestle and giggled softly. Patting their hands in a cheeky fashion, Asami asked a question.

"So… how're we gonna go about doing this hm?" Korra face faulted because for all of her gungho enthusiasm about this she hadn't actually thought about how to deal with the situation. Naturally though, being an impatient person by nature, Korra sought the fastest solution she could think of.

"Why don't we just confront him about it and make him work through it? It's not like he's gonna be able to run away or something like that." Korra suggested and looked up to find a squinched and awkward look from Aasami and a disapproving nod from Kuvira. "What?" She asked honestly confused from their reactions. Kuvira sighed and leaned forward to place her chin on top of her laced fingers.

"It's not that simple. I've already tried to get Naruto to open up about it. Confronting him won't work and we'll only make it harder on ourselves if we try to force him to do it. It's generally not a good idea to force someone to talk about their feelings like that. Hmm… what were you guys going to tell me before?" Kuvira looked at the pair and found discomfort dancing across their faces.

"We… while the kids were playing around in Naruto's room they tossed a folder out of his drawer."

"Was it the one Chief Beifong handed him?" Kuvira asked prompting a curious raise of a brow from Asami and a small nod from Korra. "What was in it?" Kuvira furthered with unending curiosity, though it was stemmed by the downtrodden shake of Korra's head while the Avatar looked into her eyes.

"That's just it… He had a police report and a mugshot in the folder. Some dude," "Zabuza Momochi." "-thank you. He's from… doesn't matter, I think." Korra shook her head and tried to stall as much as she could from telling Kuvira. She was still reeling from learning what she had from that bundle of paper.

"He's wanted for 17 murders." Asami said gravely and filled in for Korra when she saw the girl struggle to get the words out. They shared a small smile of comfort to each other while Kuvira pulled back in her seat with wide eyes while taking in the information.

"17… Why would Naruto have a police report about him?" Kuvira's question made the tension in the air thicken to the point that hands formed and choked the air out of the girl's throats. Korra swallowed a thick clump of saliva before inhaling lowly.

"He's believed… They think he's to blame for… He…" Korra looked down and shook her head before looking up with a determined gleam, the desire to help Naruto overshadowing her disgust with the information and forcing her words out, "The police name him as the prime suspect for the murder of Naruto's parents." Kuvira's eyes widened as multiple puzzle pieces started fitting together in her head and she suddenly gained a much, _much _clearer understanding of everything surrounding Naruto. Hastily she leaned forward and tried to tell the other two.

"Guys! I think-" She was interrupted by a loud chanting and the happy squeals of children.

"Big~Bro~Naruto! Big~Bro~Naruto!" "Hey that's not fair I want to ride his shoulders!" "Shut up Meelo I'm up here!" "Can't you two just behave for once?"

The girls immediately shut up and looked over at one of the entrances to the dining hall and found a walking jungle gym entering with long, painful strides as numerous children crawled across his frame. Naruto didn't look very comfortable, and the master airbender walking beside him seemed very amused.

"Better you than me Naruto. My old bones can barely handle Meelo let alone… _all _of them. Oh to be young again… hehehe." Tenzin giggled cheekily as he watched Meelo mount Naruto's head, Ikki clamber up onto his shoulders, Luke cling onto his left leg, Lucy cling onto his right, and even Jinora was holding onto his hand and leading him into the dining hall. Naruto grumbled with a glare towards Tenzin.

"Oi! They are your kids, handle em!" Naruto demanded loudly and stomped his foot, though the action caused Luke to fall off of his leg and hastily clamber back up, nearly tripping the boy and knocking over the whole ensemble. Tenzin shook his head while palming his forehead.

"Meelo, Ikki, Jinora! Off!" With the loud, powerful voice of the master airbender 3 children suddenly flew off with various tricks of airbending, though Jinora's was merely a little gust to send her maybe a few inches off of the ground before she settled once more next to Naruto. She watched with a small sigh as Meelo and Ikki flew around the dining hall and disturbed many of the airbending acolytes. Naruto, too, sighed but out of relief rather than resigned annoyance. Shaking his head, Naruto gazed around the dining hall and found the girl's table. He waved and beamed them a smile.

"Hey guys!" Naruto shouted in a cheerful manner and walked over with Luke, Lucy, Jinora, and Tenzin at his heels. Naruto smiled in a fox like manner at the girls and slumped down next to Kuvira, beaming a cheeky smile at them. His cheery attitude broke the tension at the table and forced some relief into the girls' systems, though Kuvira just stared at him in a new light as she continued to further ponder what she had learned.

"So, what's goin on hm?" Naruto asked with an exaggerated gaze around the table, noting their silence, before Tenzin cleared his throat while Luke and Lucy rode his shoulders. For some reason kids liked to do that…

"Korra finished her daily practice this morning while you were still asleep, so what you 4 do is up to you. Make sure you don't miss your dance practice, Kuvira, Naruto. I'll take care of babysitting today, so make sure you take advantage of this time. No need to thank me." Tenzin grumbled slightly before walking away with three children at his heels. Jinora peaked at Naruto over her shoulder again before running to catch up with her father.

"We were uhhh…" Korra trailed off, awkwardly coughing when she couldn't think of anything to say while Naruto peered at them and exaggerated his glances.

"What? Don't tell me you weren't doing anything while I slept? Come on." Naruto pestered cheekily with a grin on his face. Truth be told, he was worried that they had nothing to tell him. That meant that they were _probably _talking about the folder they opened in his room. A misty finger trailing across his cheek allowed Naruto to feel the way the mistress seemed pleased with that fact, and a deep desire burned in Naruto's chest at her touch. He ignored it.

"Ah well, we were just trying to think of something to do today. We haven't gotten very far, hahah." Asami, having a lot of experience in awkward social situations due to her status, quickly came up with a believable white lie and laughed as genuinely as she could without actually laughing, which was pretty damn genuine. Naruto nodded and felt relieved since he bought her lie and believed they weren't actually talking about that folder. All the better.

"Ah well, I've got something I wanna do today actually. I think it'd be a great day to go see a pro-bending match. Anybody know what teams are playing today?" Naruto peered at them curiously and found unfortunate nodding, though he took note of the calculative gaze from Kuvira. He shrugged his shoulders.

"That sounds good! Yea, let's do that!" Korra agreed eagerly, trying her best to make Naruto feel better. She figured letting him take the lead on their daily plans was a good step towards that. She stood up, grinning at him, before childish squeals to her left brought the group's attention to Luke and Lucy as they stumbled towards the table.

"We~Wanna~Go! We~Wanna~Go!" They shouted in tandem together while bouncing at the edge of the table. A stressed out, exasperated, and panting Tenzin came staggering around the corner with a loud sigh and an exclamation towards the heavens about 'mean spirit children'. Naruto laughed openly, feeling joy dribble down his throat into his gut and cooling the magma, filling the void, and calming the storming sorrow, even if only slightly. Korra looked at his reaction and found the smile of his laughter reaching the corner of his eyes. Her own blue skies widened in realization.

"Oh you guys can come, I mean," Naruto stood and posed on the table heroically by stomping a foot onto the bench and jabbing a thumb at his chest with a charismatic smirk on his face, "I wouldn't be Big-Bro-Naru-To! If I didn't hehe." Naruto raised his hands with the children as they shouted happily before scooping them up. Lucy clambered onto his shoulders and Luke settled in his hands.

"To~The~Theater To~The~Theater!" The children shouted in tandem and Naruto pointed his arm forward, holding Luke with the other, and looked to the girls.

"Let's go! There's no time to waste!"

* * *

_Alright here's the new chapter. I tried to make it longer for you guys since a few reviewers have asked for longer chapters, and I myself have wanted to make them longer, so hopefully this pleases you guys! _

_On a more serious note, please please __**please **__review about the fighting scene. I tend to be pretty poor at writing them, so I'm sorry if it doesn't meet your standards for a good fighting scene, I apologize. _

_On a final note, if you have any concerns about the Uchiha Clan or what was implied/stated during the confrontation with Kurama, feel free to PM me and I'll clear some things up with or without spoilers if you wish. _


	23. Chapter 23

"_What was my Father like?" A small child with black hair and red-rimmed glasses asked quietly while staring up at the imposing figure leading her donning a patchy, sand colored poncho covering the majority of his body with southern water tribe apparel barely visible under the cloak. The figure turned around, tufts of blonde hair falling from under the poncho to beam in the sun light of the South Pole. Sky blue eyes peaked upwards with attentive care._

"_Your Father hm? Heheh." The man chuckled, his frame shaking with the movement before his hand came to rest on the girl's puffy jacket shoulder. "Good ol' Sasuke Uchiha… Well, for one," The man looked down to her with a cheeky grin, jagged scars adorning each cheek mirroring the whiskers of a cat, or a fox rather if she remembered what he told her right._

"_Your Father was quite popular."_

_-Line Break-_

"~Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!~" A figure jumped up and down in a fashion similar to an athlete hyping themselves up for a big race or a big game. Light beamed through a dark hallway while muffled cries echoed throughout.

"~Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!~" Black hair swung from side to side as the figure shook their head with each jump, landing from foot to foot. Two figures further in the hallway watched, one with a shining grin and the other with a stone-set grimace.

"~Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!~" Confidently shimmering black eyes raised up, pale skin surrounding them as an arrogant, confident smirk scrunched up the skin around the eye. Little tufts of flame came into existence and out of existence periodically with the teen's breathing.

"~Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke! Sasuke!~"

"Alright boys," Sasuke Uchiha, youngest heir to the Uchiha 'Empire' as it was portrayed in the eyes of the common folk, turned around to his team with an arrogant aura. "Let's go fuck up some champs, eh?" His team mirrored his grin, one Suigetsu and one Jugo.

"Fine by me, _captain._" Suigetsu's voice dripped with an ever present sarcasm as he lackadaisically tightened the straps on his pro-bending suit. Jugo nodded silently, face set into a grim disposition while staring forward. Suigetsu noticed and his face scrunched up into confusion as a result. "Come on lighten up Jugo, the fuck you so down for?" The massive teen looked up, long spiky orange hair waving in the air as he did so. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"Bending shouldn't be a sport. It's dangerous. I'm only here because Sasuke asked me to be. Plus, I don't really like Republic City. Not even any trees here." Jugo answered honestly while the group began to walk forward, called forth by the calls for Sasuke and the announcer calling for their team.

"Oh really come on Jugo, you're such a pussy. It's just bending. It's practically sparring, except well," Suigetsu grinned while throwing his arms out to his side in a confident manner, "Everyone else fuckin' sucks." Before Jugo could reply Sasuke started laughing heartily, bending over and smacking his knee before coming up with a straight, annoyed face.

"Shut the fuck up already, fuck man. The prize money for this tournament is supposed to be like 100,000 or some shit like that. That's some nice play money for basically nothing. Plus, heheh," Sasuke looked forward again, the team coming out of the tunnel to a resounding call for his name, "I hear the Sato heiress is hot as fuck." Suigetsu started laughing like a dying hyena while Jugo chuckled a little, now nervous to be in front of such a massive crowd here to watch him earth bend.

"Now, today's newbies! Introducing Team TAKA!" The crowds, if possible, grew even louder while Sasuke's team were being moved towards the ring. Suigetsu tapped him on the shoulder, the Uchiha teen not even turning around to acknowledge him as per usual.

"Why Taka or whatever? Shit sounds lame." Sasuke chuckled, turning around with a cheeky grin.

"TAKE AH... your money." Sasuke giggled stupidly while Suigetsu and Jugo got straight faces, though Suigetsu's jaw found itself lowering slowly.

"Yep, fuckin' lame." Suigetsu groaned until they entered the ring and found the door for the opposing team opening revealing a haughty, pale skinned teen grinning lecherously at them with an aura of ego. "Oh, not as lame as that fucking loser. Geez… you see that Sasuke?" Suigetsu looked at his friend but found him staring forward at their opponents with an unbreakable focus, a rare seriousness.

"And now, last year's Champions! The White Falls Wolfbats!" The announcer boomed, and suddenly the team began moving forward on the moving platform. Sasuke's eyes narrowed with each passing second until he was practically glaring at the champion team as they moved forward inch by inch. The air around Sasuke began to grow hotter and hotter until even the ambient water within the air was beginning to steam. Suigetsu and Jugo ignored it, used to Sasuke's anger and the subsequent dry heat.

Sasuke's team strode forward for the ritual face-to-face before each match by the teams. Sasuke glared up into the slightly taller Tahno's eyes with a burning arrogance. Tahno was shocked to find another person with an ego even larger than his.

"Oh ho hoooo… Quite the confidence on you, newbie." Tahno drawled out with a confident, sleazy grin and half-lidded eyes. Sasuke smirked, his glare lessening.

"I see that fear in your eyes." Sasuke's eyes grew larger and more intimidating as his grin stretched, "I can't wait to validate it." Sasuke growled quietly. Tahno's eyes widened and he backpedalled a little bit, causing a massive grin positively glowing with confidence to break Sasuke's face. Tahno saw it and glared while snarling.

"We're gonna break you, _Uchiha._" This only made Sasuke's mouth stretch into an almost feral grin.

"Good to see you already know my name… Makes this a little easier." Sasuke bit back with a ferocity Tahno had not been expecting before the bell signifying the start of the pro-bending bout rang throughout the arena. Tahno jumped back with a confident, but serious look on his face. Sasuke, meanwhile, stood still and tilted to the side in a lackadaisical manner. A lopsided grin broke his face while he stood there, staring at Tahno and Tahno only.

The mentioned teen found himself slightly unnerved and tried to turn around to order his team to execute one of their many teams but, to his unrelenting surprise, found them struggling to defend against, let alone fight back, the fierce bending of the Uchiha's teammates. The white haired boy, the team's water bender, was lashing out with slashes of water so fast it looked like he was using the water whips technique, but Tahno's experienced eyes could see the way each lash cut off and another replaced it. Being a water bender himself, Tahno found awe dripping into his chest as he watched the ferocity with which this kid could move water.

To his right Tahno heard the grating 'plink' sounds of earth bending raining upon his ears and he turned to look, despair gutting his confidence and leaving its entrails on the arena. Tahno's firebending teammate stood no chance against the onslaught of earthen plates slamming into his defense. Plates slammed into each other periodically to change their course of action and throw him off his game. Plates curved and spun in the air to distract his eyes and allow other plates hidden in their shadows to catch his rib cage. Before Tahno knew it, his teammates were already in the last zone and he was the only man standing between the Uchiha's team and their advancement.

Sasuke, from his spot standing relaxed in front of Tahno, continued to grin lazily. He shook his head, closing his eyes and looking down with a chuckle, before snapping his head up and spinning his body into a jump kick. A lash of flame followed his kick and flew towards Tahno. The champion growled, the feeling of his reputation and his fame crashing down on him igniting whatever skill he had within his body as he tore apart the lash of flame with quick whips of water, only to widen his eyes in horror as four more followed. When had the Uchiha even had time to bend these?

They crashed into his frame and sent him flying into the last zone where his teammates caught him to prevent him from flying over the edge. Pulling himself up, Tahno growled and glared murder into the beaming, arrogant, egotistical and so utterly _annoying _eyes of the Uchiha brat as he felt an anger, an embarrassment, an unrelenting fear rear its ugly head from his chest into his mouth and out past his lips.

"Focus the Uchiha brat. We'll take each one out as a team. They can't possibly dodge all three of our attacks." Tahno demanded angrily with a low growl. His team, as obedient as ever, did not voice their acknowledgement but instead turned their attention towards the Uchiha teen as he slowly strode into position and, upon seeing their new focus, grinned, dropping low into a brawler stance. The bell rang, and Tahno's team sent forth their attacks in unison.

Fire and Earth at his feet, water at his head. Sasuke could see it. He could feel the way the moisture neared his eyes and the heat neared his knees. Widespread attacks meant to prevent him from dodging, multiple heights meant to prevent him from jumping away. He grinned despite it all.

In the stands Naruto stood up, eyes wide and hands clenched with white knuckles around the railing as he stared at the scene in front of him.

Sasuke spinning, propelling himself with streams of fire from his hands and heels, in the middle sandwiched between a watery wave above him and a stream of fire and earth below him.

_-Line Break-_

"_How did he die?" Naruto stumbled at her follow up question, before coughing to clear his throat and patting his chest. He looked to her from his hooded poncho, a grim look on his face. He should have expected this question after some time, but she was still so young… Closing his eyes with a sigh, Naruto figured he should just tell her._

"_You're too smart Sarada." He said quietly, patting her head without objection from the girl herself. After a few months of travelling together she learned to get used to it. She looked up, noting the way an unnoticeable weight in Naruto's eyes suddenly made itself known to her. Her eyes widened slightly. She had never seen the man look so sad. All she knew about him was that he was always happy and jovial. What had changed?_

"_Your Father… Haaaaahhhhh… and many others," Naruto looked down, his eyes sad and heavy as he looked down at nothing, before looking up slowly to beam grief into Sarada's wide eyes, _

"_Lost their lives to war."_

_End_

**_I need a beta, I can't write fight scenes for the life of me man._**


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